George Pickens is the new No. 2 wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys but remains noncommittal to signing a long term deal with his new team.

FRISCO — The Dallas Cowboys have promised “substantive” moves this offseason and after another dull offseason start they decided to deliver.

Wednesday, they traded for polarizing former Pittsburgh Steelers star George Pickens.

Pickens fills the most glaring need this roster that was yet to be filled after free agency and the draft.

In fact, his skillset makes him a perfect complement to CeeDee Lamb and a seamless fit into this offense.

Pickens boasts one of the widest catch radii, able to beat defenses backs in contested catch situations. That elite athleticism and talent combined with his speed makes him an elite field-stretching weapon, something the Cowboys have lacked for a long time.

Despite all those positives there are downsides which stem some attitude problems he was rumored to have during his time in Pittsburgh.

Pickens can be a loose cannon with his behavior on the field at times and it translates in some ways to his mindset outside the lines.

Needless to say he will not be budged in any direction, especially when it comes to contract talks.

Pickens made that clear while providing a cryptic response to his Cowboys’ future in an introductory conference call Thursday afternoon.

“I’m kinda where my feet are right now, to be honest. I’m not really thinking about contract talks,” he said. “I’m just glad to be with the Cowboys right now, trying to build a winning culture.”

There are several layers to uncover here, starting with the contract. Pickens is on the final year of his rookie contract and his yearly salary is set for a major increase already, regardless if he stays in Dallas or signs elsewhere.

It would be preferable for the Cowboys to get him under contract now, but it looks like he wants to make them wait and bank on himself this season to make that number tick up a bit more.

Pickens’ thoughts on a “winning culture” closely align with those of new head coach Brian Schottenheimer, attempting to do the same at The Star in year one. They may go about it completely different, but it doesn’t seem Pickens is here to do his own thing and that’s that.

There is a real symbiotic relationship to be observed with Pickens having a chance to thrive with the Cowboys while checking off a list of all the exact things this offense needs.

Barring a catastrophe this season, the two should reasonably be able to come together on a deal.

The Cowboys have the security of possibly regaining a third-round compensatory pick (to match what they just gave up) if this all falls through and they lose Pickens.

But a deal like this one is not made on the grounds of having a failsafe when all falls down.

This is an aggressive gamble to land the talent required to win in today’s game.

A contract extension may not be in play at the moment, but it seems both sides are committed to making this relationship work to where the player and the franchise will stand to benefit in the future at the negotiating table.