Bonus Post: Why I love George Pickens to the Cowboys

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A rare double post this week but a couple hours after I hit send on Tuesday’s column, I started to see some tweets, and by the next morning the Cowboys made their biggest move in years.

The Cowboys have a long history of trading for Wide Receiver, they often do it when they are stuck with a pretty destitute group. In the past these names have included, Roy Williams, Joey Galloway, Amari Cooper, Tavon Austin and on.

They have given up 1st round picks for Williams, Galloway, and Cooper, picks that they greatly value that show they greatly value a No. 1 receiver provides.

That’s not what this trade is. This trade is getting a Robin for the Batman they have in CeeDee Lamb. To call Pickens a Robin is probably a stretch, he is a top 15 NFL receiver, and he puts their WR group from bottom 10 to arguably a Top 5 unit in the NFL.

Pickens is more like Thor to CeeDee’s Iron Man. He has some character concerns for sure, but when it’s time to battle he’s gonna make some serious noise. I’ve been watching clips non-stop for 2 days and I am so stoked that they made this move.

This is some deep nerd shit but it paints a pretty awesome picture for the outlook of this offense. They will have an elite offensive line unit if Guyton shows the slightest level of improvement. Their interior 3 now with Booker is as good as you can find in the NFL. Beebe in Year 2 at Center should have a huge step up after a full season at the helm.

Think about the garbage at QB Pickens has been working with. Mason Rudolph, Russell Wilson, Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, Justin Fields (The best of the group). Is Dak one of those guys? Absolutely not. He isn’t Mahomes or Allen but he would be the 2nd best Quarterback in the History of the Steelers Franchise.

Dak might be a perfect circumstance type of quarterback. The Cowboys have finally had an offseason where they have created that for him. I don’t think that’s a slight to him either. I’d argue that Hurts, Allen, Burrow, and Herbert are similar in that Category. I’d put having this guy as your #2 as a pretty perfect circumstances.

Now the Cowboys offense has an above average line, two elite level Receivers, and some explosive options at running back not to mention the fastest player in the NFL spelling at WR and RB when they need him. If Jaydon Blue and Mafah can figure out how to run in the NFL teams will have to honor the run and the pass on every down, and that will make life very difficult for defenses. Not to mention the Cowboys Defense should be pretty damn solid with Micah, Ezeiruaku, Fowler, Overshown, Diggs, Bland, Revel, Murray, and so on. They will compete as long as Dak and Micah are healthy, at this point that’s all I can ask for at this point.

Of course you can’t pretend that there isn’t other baggage with Pickens. He has been known for his attitude, picking fights with teammates and opponents, and having some less than flattering post game comments about his team.

I’m comfortable with the risk for a handful of reasons. First off, Brian Schottenheimer was a Coach at Georgia while Pickens was there. He knows him and will work to keep him in line. The Cowboys knew this trade was coming and had a very obvious open locker between Dak Prescott, CeeDee, and Micah Parsons, Pickens will sit right there.

Secondly this is the Dallas Cowboys. Think about Receivers in Dallas, Irvin, Dez, TO. The guys that play the best for Dallas are the guys that piss off the other team. CeeDee has a little bit of this but I think he got some Amari rubbed off on him in his younger years, he’s much more of a silent killer. Pickens will talk shit, he will get penalties, and he will get under defenses skin. If he can occupy the No 1 corner and leave the double to CeeDee, who beat doubles with you and I as the other two receivers last year, that’s a winning setup. If they wanna double Pickens then CeeDee will eat all day. If they play Shell and keep it in front? Jake Ferguson and the Running backs will make it happen inside. There are so many options created from this move. If Pickens gets ejected once or twice who cares, if he gets ejected and takes Marshon Lattimore to the locker room with him? Sounds like a win to me.

Give me 1000 yards and 8 TDs and talk all you want. He is a baller.

I don’t care about the Compensation either. A third is a 50-50 shot maybe if you have a good track record. Here are the receivers the Cowboys have drafted in the 2-5 rounds since 2000,

• Round 3 WRs: Terrance Williams (2013), Michael Gallup (2018), Jalen Tolbert (2022)

• Round 4 WRs: Antonio Bryant (2002)

• Round 5 WRs: Manuel Johnson (2010), Devin Street (2014)

Not one guy you’d take over George Pickens. Give me talent over dice rolls every day of the week. And if Pickens does go AWOL? Let him go and get your third back in 2027. If this was the Eagles Howie Roseman would be walking in a puddle of saliva the media would be drooling on him. This is a move that winning teams make, I’m glad the Cowboys for once saw the error in their ways and did something about it.

Is this team gonna win the Super Bowl? My 29 years on earth would tell me no. Are they gonna be fun? Hell Yes. Are they going to be unstoppable in Madden? Oh yeah. Am I gonna get mad that they are trying to get better after multiple offseasons of not doing so? Absolutely not.

o7.5 is still on the board, although the juice is -140. They will win 9 games at minimum if Dak is healthy. That’s an if I get it, but that number will go up. Get it sooner than later.

Peace