Cowboys Praised For George Pickens Gamble

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated May 19, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Dallas Cowboys needed something to inject hope and optimism into the 2025 season, and after a free agency and draft period that for most, hit all the right notes, a move needed to happen to send it over the edge.

With receiver being the biggest need as CeeDee Lamb needed a running mate, the franchise pulled the trigger on a trade for Pittsburgh Steelers receiver George Pickens after a month or so of work.

Boom goes the dynamite.

Now, Dak Prescott has a top tandem to slice defenses apart with, something he hasn't had since the Amari Cooper days, and for Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano, he has given Dallas an A grade for its offseason work, and thinks the Pickens dice roll is worth it.

"The Cowboys’ late offseason splash trade for Pickens was exactly what this team needed to contend in the loaded NFC East," Manzano writes. "Dallas’s patient approach paid off, prioritizing the trenches in the draft while resisting the urge to overpay for skill players in free agency. Eventually, the Cowboys will need to decide whether Pickens is worth a lucrative contract extension, but if he is, then this risky trade was worth the dice roll."

Now, it is all about making the Pickens trade work. With the receiver needing a new contract at the end of the season, it is all on George to make the most of his time in the NFC East.

Will that new contract be with Dallas? That would be the hope, but paying a receiver $20+ million per year might not be feasible given how many other stars the Cowboys have to re-sign.

Still, given that the Cowboys essentially only parted ways with a third-round pick, and a couple potentially get a third-round pick back in compensation if they don't re-sign George, this roll of the dice was one worth taking regardless of the outcome.

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

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