GEORGE PICKENS: DAK ERA'S LONE SEASON, LAST STAND

(Dallas Morning News/Tom Fox)

Former NFL GM and longtime friend of the GBAG Nation on 105.3 The Fan, Mike Tannenbaum, believes George Pickens is about to explode in Dallas—and that the Cowboys should consider locking him up with an extension before the season.

“Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards—those were guys in the final year or two of their deals. You’re gonna get the best of what they’ve got,” Tannenbaum told ESPN. “George Pickens is going to be a point scorer. It’s really hard to double CeeDee Lamb, Jake Ferguson, and George Pickens. I think he’ll have an exceptionally good year.”

Now, let’s go ahead and forgive the ESPN hot-take machine for getting tangled in its own wires. If Pickens is about to have a massive season because he’s in a contract year... why would you extend him now? That’s not how leverage works. But let’s not get distracted. The real takeaway here is this:

The Cowboys have a rare, one-year window to go for it.

And history tells us they probably won’t.

Dallas has never shown a willingness to pay two top-of-the-market wide receivers. They follow a very clear blueprint: invest in a handful of core stars, sign their own for other starters and depth, then fill out the rest of the roster with rookie deals and mid-tier veterans in the $3–$10 million range. The closest they’ve come to doubling up at wide receiver was Amari Cooper at $20M, Michael Gallup at $13M, and CeeDee Lamb on a rookie deal. Even then, they bailed on that formula before Lamb arrived.

When Dez Bryant was WR1? His wingman was Terrance Williams.

So don’t expect a long-term plan built around both Lamb and Pickens. That’s not how the Cowboys operate. The more likely scenario: ride with Pickens until his current deal is up, like they did with Brandin Cooks, and then move on. But this time, it's different.

Pickens isn't a declining veteran. He’s a young, matchup-dictating alpha.

He and Lamb might be the best WR duo the Cowboys have fielded in decades. Add in a top-tier defensive line, and this is the kind of talent combo you can’t count on getting again.

That’s why the Cowboys should take a hard look at spending an additional $10 million this summer on roster upgrades—particularly at defensive tackle and cornerback. Maybe even add another 10+m and swing a trade for a left tackle if Tyler Guyton doesn’t take a leap in Year 2. Because with Lamb, Pickens, Parsons, all on the field together, and a coaching staff committed to creating a real running game, 2025 might be the best shot this franchise will have in the rest of the Dak era.

The question is whether the Joneses recognize that—and are willing to break tendency to act like it.