Nobody on the Dallas Cowboys' roster stands to benefit more from George Pickens' absence than Ryan Flournoy.
Sure, Flournoy is a roster lock, and no Pickens means more targets for wide receivers who are actually fighting to make the team, but big things are expected from Flournoy after he burst onto the scene last season with a 40-475-4 receiving line.
It begs the question of just how big his role will be in 2026. Obviously, he's not going to outshine Pickens or CeeDee Lamb, but if OTAs are any indicator, Brian Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams have big plans for the third-year wideout.
Flournoy has seen a lot of work in the slot in the early goings, per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Even if it's just a wrinkle rather than a definitive position change, it could unlock another level for an already-prolific offense.
Ryan Flournoy is at the center of a fascinating Dallas Cowboys experiment at OTAs
For starters, Flournoy operating in the slot reinforces how much the coaching staff trusts him. It helps that he shared the field with Pickens and CeeDee Lamb, but Flournoy's efficiency last season was up there with some of the game's premier pass-catchers.
Per Pro Football Focus, Flournoy ranked 14th with a 111.8 passer rating when targeted (min. 50 targets). A limited sample size, sure, but it was a higher mark than Amon-Ra St. Brown (110.6), Drake London (107.8), Terry McLaurin (106.7), DeVonta Smith (105.1), and A.J. Brown (100.1). That's impressive company.
The Cowboys are right to entrust him with a bigger role, and playing in the slot means that Schottenheimer and Adams can be more creative with Lamb and Pickens. If you look at the numbers from last year, this wrinkle makes a lot of sense.
Here's a look at Dallas' snap leaders from the slot via PFF:
Player | Snaps |
|---|---|
Jake Ferguson | 367 |
KaVontae Turpin | 194 |
CeeDee Lamb | 173 |
Jalen Tolbert | 129 |
Ryan Flournoy | 104 |
George Pickens | 68 |
Part of that hierarchy is skewed by Lamb missing essentially four games, but you can understand why Schottenheimer is shaking things up. Jake Ferguson offers almost zero explosion, and Kavontae Turpin isn't a natural receiver and is easy to out-physical.
Schottenheimer has said he wants to move Pickens around more, and Pickens is all for it. That makes Flournoy's work in the slot especially intriguing. The more comfortable Flournoy gets inside, the more freedom Dallas has to deploy Lamb, Pickens, and Flournoy across the formation.
There's also the fact that it would give Flournoy more playing time, which would only benefit the offense.
From Weeks 5 to 16, he played 54 percent of the offensive snaps. It's only natural that most of Lamb's and Pickens' snaps will come on the outside. If Flournoy proves he can handle a significant slot role, though, his playing time could climb toward the 70 percent range.
For a receiver talented enough to be a WR2 in most offenses, that's a frightening proposition and another reason to believe Dallas' passing game has a much higher ceiling than many realize.
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