Franchise tag might be Cowboys' best option for George Pickens

The Dallas Cowboys' experience with wide receiver George Pickens has, for the most part, gone better than anybody could have reasonably expected this season. 

After a tumultuous and inconsistent three-year run with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cowboys traded a third-round pick for him just before the season and have watched him blossom into the impact talent everybody in the NFL knew he had the potential to be.

Now it is putting the Cowboys into a situation where they have to make a big — and expensive — decision with Pickens after this season.

He is in the final year of his rookie contract, and his performance this season is going to put him in a position to cash in this offseason.

If recent Cowboys history tells us anything, it's that those negotiations are likely to be chaotic, dramatic, public and several levels of unhinged. It might even result in Pickens getting one of the largest wide receiver contracts in the NFL. As reported by ESPN this week, the Cowboys are determined to keep him in the building beyond this season, even if that means taking the risky move of slapping the franchise tag on him.

Franchise tag might actually be most sensible option for Cowboys with George Pickens

The franchise tag is never an ideal outcome for a player or team, and it has been used increasingly less in recent years. There is also the chance that applying the franchise tag on Pickens could lead to him skipping out on offseason activities and perhaps even holding out.

All of that still might be more desirable than breaking the bank on a long-term contract extension.

Because that carries its own set of significant risks, and not all of them relate to Pickens himself. 

Pickens is a massive wild card, and he has reportedly still carried over some of the red flags that frustrated the Steelers to Dallas. Specifically, his occasional lateness. His performance on Thursday night was also a reminder that for as electrifying as he can be when things are going well for him, he can also still have an occasional quiet game where things seem to fly off the rails. 

Investing a long-term contract worth $30M-40M per season in a player like that can have some risks if things do not work out. 

The franchise tag for one year could even light a fire under him and prompt an even bigger performance as he keeps playing for a big contract in 2027, whether it be with Dallas or somebody else. 

But there is another thing the Cowboys have to be cautious about when thinking about paying Pickens when they already have quarterback Dak Prescott and fellow wide receiver CeeDee Lamb making huge money. Loading up on big-money skill players when your team has so many other holes can leave you in an undesirable situation when it comes to being able to build a complete team. 

The Cincinnati Bengals, with Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, should be a cautionary tale here. The Bengals kept all three players on huge contracts despite having serious issues on their offensive line and defense. While it has produced an outstanding offense that is capable of outscoring any team on any given week, it has also left their quarterback in a situation where he can not stay healthy due to the weekly beating he takes, and their defense in a situation where anybody can outscore it on any given week.

The Cowboys already have one of the NFL's worst defenses, and it is likely to keep them out of the playoffs for the second year in a row. Would they be better off tagging Pickens, getting him for next season for a slightly lower rate against the cap than he would get on a long-term contract, and having more money to spread around to the defense? They might. It might be an offensive-minded league, but you still have to stop somebody.