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George Pickens contract and trade states: Where do the Dallas Cowboys stand? Is George Pickens getting traded?

The Dallas Cowboys and wide receiver George Pickens have yet to come to a contract agreement, and the longer things take, the more nerve-wracking it is for those who want to see Pickens remain a Cowboys player.

So, the infamous George Pickens contract remains a dilemma in the Cowboys’ camp, and some movement this past week in the NFL had an indirect impact on it. Of course, that moment was the Jaylen Waddle trade. Now, that trade may have implications on Pickens’ deal and his future with the Dallas Cowboys.

Jaylen Waddle Trade Impact on Dallas Cowboys and George Pickens

The numbers from Waddle’s deal may point to something similar if the Cowboys were to trade Pickens. “Tuesday provided some overall context for the proverbial price for George Pickens should the Dallas Cowboys be interested in trading him,” RJ Ochoa of Blogging the Boys states in a Friday, March 20 feature on Pickens’ contract.

As for the direct impact, Ochoa states, “The first-round pick that Miami is receiving is 30th overall and that is clearly the main variable involved with the trade. If you are a Cowboys fan interested in trading George Pickens, who the Cowboys placed the franchise tag on this offseason, then it stands to reason that you would want a first-rounder involved.”

In a separate piece for the El Paso Times about trade implications, Bret Bloomquist notes, “By all accounts, there have been no serious talks between the Dallas Cowboys and receiver George Pickens about a long-term deal since Dallas put a franchise tag on him last month.”

Bloomquist notes that the Waddle trade is bringing more hype to the idea of a Pickens trade, and that the New England Patriots would be a good fit. “Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton has indeed proposed a trade in which Dallas would receive New England’s second-round pick, which, at this point, seems less than what Pickens could command,” he adds.

So, the trade update is down to either Pickens holding out with Dallas until he gets a new deal or the parties decision to part ways. But, it’s changed, because the Waddle deal gives some context for a potential Pickens trade.

He adds, “This figures to be a story that will linger through the offseason. The point is that if Dallas parts ways with Pickens, it would get picks and salary cap space to invest in its defense.”

Dallas Cowboys Should Shop George Pickens After Waddle Trade

In a Tuesday, March 17, piece for the Landry Hat, Jerry Trotta says that Dallas should absolutely shop Pickens now.

“This is not meant to be a dig at Waddle. He’s a former No. 6 overall pick who’s averaged 81 catches for 1,098 yards and six touchdowns across six seasons,” he states in the piece. “That production is nothing to sneeze at, but nobody expected him to fetch a first-round pick. Sure, it’s No. 30 overall, but a first is a first, and the Dolphins even squeezed a third-rounder out of Denver while swapping fourths.”

He adds that “Pickens is a more explosive, dynamic player and offers far more as a downfield threat. Waddle fits more of the CeeDee Lamb mold than a true X receiver, so the comparison isn’t perfect—but how many receivers can you definitively say are better than Pickens? Now ask the same about Waddle.” He says the answer is “not even a conversation.”

Anne Erickson is an award-winning reporter for Heavy Sports covering the NFL, NBA and college football. Anne Erickson has years of experience covering the NFL and additional sports, and her work has been published via ESPN, Fox Sports and more. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in sports, including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Erickson also hosts several podcasts and is a Detroit-based radio host. More about Anne Erickson