Eagles won't lose sleep over Cowboys' desperate trade at wide receiver

The NFC East division is starting to spice up a bit for the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

On Wednesday, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that the Dallas Cowboys are trading for wide receiver George Pickens, sending a 2026 third-round and 2027 fifth-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dallas also receives a 2027 sixth-round pick.

Pickens finished last season with 900 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 14 games. He's played three seasons in the NFL after being a second-round pick for Pittsburgh in 2022.

How Cowboys' trade for Pickens changes the NFC East race and the Eagles defending their title

Cowboys fans have been begging for Dallas to make an "all-in" move on the season after a fairly quiet offseason for the team. Trading for Pickens does signal the Cowboys are trying to get back into the conversation with the Eagles and Washington Commanders in the division title race.

The series between the two teams has been favorable to the Eagles lately. They have won three of the last four matchups against the Cowboys. Last year, Philadelphia outscored Dallas 75-13 in the two games.

Pickens has only played the Eagles once in his career, back in his rookie year in 2022. He had three targets but did not make a reception. In last season's matchup, Pickens did not play in the game against Philadelphia due to a hamstring injury.

Dallas has done little to improve its running game offensively as it let 1,000-yard rusher Rico Dowdle sign with the Carolina Panthers. The defense still has several questions and has a lingering contract extension concern with Micah Parsons that needs to get done.

Philadelphia remains the class of the division, with the Commanders providing the biggest competition in the East. Pickens does improve Dallas' offense, but the Eagles' young cornerbacks, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, were ranked among the top shutdown corners in the NFL last year and should play at the same level.

A last-second trade for Pickens with roughly three months before training camp isn't going to push the needle in their favor. The Eagles don't have to worry about the move, as they are still set up for another division title and Super Bowl run, while the Cowboys will spend the season chasing after Philadelphia.