Cowboys Back In The Playoff Fight After 4 Major Trades

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated May 8, 2025 10:39 AM ET

The theoretical final piece of the roster puzzle for the Dallas Cowboys under new head coach Brian Schottenheimer has now been placed.

The Cowboys traded for receiver George Pickens, giving CeeDee Lamb some much-needed help. The offense now has two genuine No. 1 receivers for Dak Prescott to work with, and suddenly Schottenheimer's offense looks rather potent.

Oh, and also suddenly ... Cowboys owner Jerry Jones looks - dare we say it? - "all in.

This offseason (so far!) Dallas has engineered 4 "major'' trades.

-Acquired WR George Pickens

-Acquired QB Joe Milton

-Acquired LB Kenneth Murray

-Acquired CB Kaiir Elam.

They gave up very little for the latter three. All but Milton ("major'' in terms of being a headline-grabber) figure as starting candidates or stars ...

And some of the Cowboys Nation skepticism has been washed away.

Granted, some scoff at the third-round pick Dallas sent to the Pittsburgh Steelers and George's character issues on the field, which sees him get a little hot under the collar, but for former Cowboys receiver and Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, the move gets Dallas back into the Super Bowl fight.

"All that matters is that we got the exact type of receiver, the exact diversity I talked about," Irvin said on FS1's Speak. "This is a freak athlete, he can make plays that very few people that ever put on a pair of shoulder pads and helmet can make. You add that to what the Dallas Cowboys have right now, it's what I have talked about. They got exactly what we need. We're back in the fight."

The dynamic and explosive Pickens now forms what could be seen as perhaps the best receiver duo in the NFC East and certainly one of the better receiver tandems in football.

With the NFC arms race with the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders looking like it was going to be a two-horse race, the Cowboys have now put their hat into the ring.

Now, this is predicated on Pickens being the player many think he can be, and in a contract year where he wants to prove himself as he isn't after a new deal right now, that is a good spot to be if you are the Cowboys.

Irvin is excited, fans are excited, and now the Cowboys can look ahead to the 2025 season with an optimism that many thought would never come.

Lamb got his running mate, Dak got another weapon, and the Cowboys got the final piece to their 2025 puzzle.

The Cowboys are back in the fight, alright.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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