The Dallas Cowboys needed to take a big swing in free agency to keep pace with an NFC East that is suddenly one of the deepest divisions in the league, and Jerry Jones chose to check that box by acquiring wide receiver George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
According to those who have seen Cowboys' offseason practices up close, Dallas should be thrilled with their acquisition. The ceiling for the 6-3 Pickens, who has lived up to the hype as a former second-round pick, is nearly limitless with the right structure around him.
"The George Pickens hype is understandable," said Saad Yousuf of The Athletic. "If early showings are any indication, the move has big boom potential." If Pickens is able to avoid the same pitfalls that led to his end in Pittsburgh, the Cowboys will have their best No. 2 wide receiver in a half-decade.
George Pickens reportedly dominating at Cowboys offseason practices
No one has ever doubted Pickens' ability. Despite playing with subpar quarterbacks in some archaic offenses, Pickens averaged just under 60 yards per game in Pittsburgh. Joining Dak Prescott is clearly going to give him the massive upgrade in consistency he needs.
Pickens remains one of the best in the league at reeling in difficult catches that few have the contortion skills to secure. That skill was underutilized in an offense led by legendary names like Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett. Prescott, meanwhile, will get him the ball more often.
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Pickens will not be the top dog in this receiving room, as CeeDee Lamb will be in line for another year with well over 100 catches. However, the stylistic contrast of Pickens' big body and Lamb's smooth route-running could give the Dallas offense a degree of spice they were sorely missing last season.
While Pickens has never been involved in anything legally tenuous off the field, there have been some concerning moments of poor attitude that make teams around the league weary of trading for him. Stamping those moments out will be critical to his success in Dallas over the next few months.
Pickens is a gamble, but Jerry Jones is the type of gambler that would bet on which raindrop would slide down the window the fastest if he lost every dime he ever made. Pickens' potential is through the roof, and joining Prescott might be all he needs to unlock it.