The Dallas Cowboys used the franchise tag on George Pickens following his breakout season, and recent comments by CEO Stephen Jones suggest the team might be trying to trade him. After spending his first three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cowboys acquired the wide receiver in exchange for a third-round pick. This proved to be a fantastic investment, as Pickens finished his first season in Dallas with 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns, all career-bests.<\/p>\n
Despite this dominant season, the Cowboys seem unwilling to give him a long-term extension, and George Pickens is apparently not drawing much interest on the trade market. Jones recently told ESPN’s Todd Archer<\/a> that the Cowboys have “had no one call with interest in George Pickens.” This is surprising, as Pickens is a fantastic player at a premium position, and teams will put up with just about any off-field issue if the on-field play is good enough. Perhaps this is Jones’ way of telling the league the wide receiver is available, and one of the following three teams could pick up the phone.<\/p>\n The New England Patriots are the clear frontrunners in the A.J. Brown trade race<\/a>, but they could pivot to George Pickens if he’s available. While Pickens comes with his own off-field risks, he’s younger than Brown and has a lot more left in his tank. While the Patriots made the Super Bowl last year, they must add some offensive firepower if they want to duplicate that success against a significantly harder schedule. Drake Maye is still on his rookie contract<\/a> for the next few years, so the team can afford to extend Pickens without impacting their ability to build a competitive roster around the wide receiver and their young quarterback.<\/p>\n The Los Angeles Chargers have a great quarterback in Justin Herbert, but he can’t do it all on his own. Ladd McConkey lacks elite upside, and former first-round pick Quentin Johnston<\/a> is better in a depth role. A George Pickens trade would give this offense a true WR1 on the outside and, combined with the offensive line improvements, should give the Chargers the offensive firepower needed to compete in one of the league’s toughest divisions.<\/p>\nCowboys CEO Stephen Jones Speaks on George Pickens Trade<\/h2>\n
New England Patriots<\/h3>\n
Los Angeles Chargers<\/h3>\n
Baltimore Ravens<\/h3>\n