Cowboys could take a dangerous approach to George Pickens' free agency

The Dallas Cowboys' decision to trade for George Pickens was a risky one. So far, however, it has proved to be the right one.

The former second-round pick has finally lived up to the expectations and his talent, and, more importantly, he looks comfortable and at home in Arlington. Nevertheless, even though everybody has said all the right things about bringing him back in free agency, Jerry Jones has a long and well-documented history of complicating things.

Cowboys could use franchise tag on George Pickens

That could be the case again this offseason. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Cowboys will most likely use the franchise tag on him. And while that may just buy them some time to get a long-term deal done, it could also lead to a trade.

"While the best option for Pickens would be to hit unfettered free agency, the more likely option, sources say, is the Cowboys franchise tag him at an expected price of over $28 million for one season," Rapoport reported. "Dallas would then attempt to work out a long-term deal with Pickens. Another option is to tag Pickens and try to trade him for future picks, and there is historical precedent for that. But that would be the backup option to signing him to a long-term deal in Dallas."

As talented as he is, Pickens is also known for his character and his hot temper. The Pittsburgh Steelers had to deal with their fair share of controversies as a result. He's not the type of player you want to mess with in negotiations, especially because Pickens is also represented by Micah Parsons' agent.

Jones has a long history of power struggles and rubbing his players the wrong way with passive-aggressive remarks and dragging negotiations until the very last minute. He has often had to pay more than he would've if he had made a deal promptly. And with a volatile player like Pickens waiting in line for a deal, this could get ugly if he takes his regular approach to the situation.