Dallas had one of its most eventful offseasons last summer. While the Micah Parsons trade was the headliner, the George Pickens acquisition also proved to be impactful. Finally, Ceedee Lamb could wreak havoc while having a true number two option on the field. What most didn’t expect though, is for Pickens to bloom into an alpha wideout in his own right. 1400 yards and 9 TDs later, he’s due for a big payday. Though the prospect of keeping Lamb and Pickens together seems to good to pass up, the Cowboys should bide their time before backing up the Brinks truck.
The case for a long-term deal
Dallas’ offensive output was of the highest magnitudes. Not only did they rank fifth in EPA per play, they ranked second in air and total yardage. Dak Prescott went on a tear, and if the team’s collective success mirrored that of the offense, he’d most definitely be in MVP talks. A crucial piece on those offensive strides is George Pickens. The former Steeler ended the season third in total receiving yards despite having the 26th highest target share. Additionally, he was especially dominant against man coverage, posting 608 yards against man, ranking him first in the league and putting him 118 yards ahead of second place.
Why the franchise tag may be the more appropriate option
Pickens is going to demand a king’s ransom. With the state of the wide receiver market, his annual value is guaranteed to be north of 30 million. While the prospect of Pickens staying in Dallas sounds alluring, the Cowboys have painted themselves into a corner.
The team is currently second in total cap allocated towards the offense. Meanwhile, they rank bottom second in terms of defensive spending. This translates on the field, as the efforts of Dallas’ explosive offense continually got hampered by a turnstile defense.
If the Cowboys are set with building upon their strength and relying on the draft in order to build defense, re-signing Pickens is the rational course of action. However, the franchise tag can give the team some more flexibility heading into the future. Focusing on other signings to bolster the defense before handing a blank check to Pickens is the most rational choice, and could serve Dallas’ fortunes better.
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