Cardinals Dodged Bullet After George Pickens Trade

The Arizona Cardinals don't have many remaining holes on the roster approaching 2025, though another piece to the receiver's room was expected to be added at some point through the offseason.

That didn't quite happen.

The Cardinals move into 2025 with the same group of weapons as last season, opting to heavily bolster the defensive side of the ball through free agency and the draft.

The failure to add any outside weapons for the coming year has been met with mixed reviews, though the Cardinals may have dodged a bullet with a recently traded name.

Wideout George Pickens was a name consistently thrown around as a potential option for the Cardinals both before and after the draft. His time with the Pittsburgh Steelers had worn thin before eventually being dealt to the Dallas Cowboys earlier this week.

Pickens would have checked a few boxes in the desert: Arizona needs another dominant presence in the receiver's room while the Cardinals also are in search of a true downfield playmaker.

Pickens is a legitimate threat on the boundary and has consistently proven himself to be a true WR1 when it comes to hauling in even the wildest passes. Athletically, there's not many that compare to Pickens.

Yet it's the non-football portion of Pickens' career that has garnered most of the headlines, and not in a good way.

Pickens has notoriously been viewed as a hot-headed receiver who hasn't been shy about voicing displeasures.

From Steelers on SI's Noah Strackbein:

"The Steelers have been considering trading Pickens since the end of the season as the 24 year old is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Pickens has had some off field issues throughout his time in the NFL, arriving late to games and practice, while have other conflicts within the locker room."

The Cardinals have been quite intentional on who they bring into the building as part of their rebuilding efforts with mostly team-first guys who don't cause distractions.

It's fair to say Pickens - at this point in time - doesn't fit that description.

The trade compensation Dallas ultimately offered for Pickens may have been too deep for Arizona's pockets, too. The Cowboys sent a third and fifth-rounder for Pickens while also receiving a sixth alongside the wideout.

That price tag - while not asinine - isn't quite what the Cardinals or general manager Monti Ossenfort would have in mind.

Pickens would have been a nice add in theory, though the game of football isn't played on paper. Considering all factors, the Cardinals are better off without Pickens in the fold.