The talented receiver wants to stay in Dallas long term.
Even though George Pickens skipped the Dallas Cowboys’ voluntary workouts earlier this month, there’s not currently an expectation that he will attempt to holdout for a long-term deal after signing the franchise tender in April. Appearing on the Saturday morning edition of SportsCenter, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Pickens likes being with the Cowboys and there’s hope that a multi-year deal will happen “down the road” as he has been working out with Dak Prescott throughout the offseason:
“He signed the franchise tag, $27 million. Hasn’t really been a fixture in the building, kind of stayed away a little bit but I’m told he has worked with Dak Prescott this offseason offsite. Loves being a Cowboy, loves a long-term deal more. They weren’t able to get one, but they’re hopeful down the road they can work it out. But I don’t expect a holdout at this point, should be locked in for the Cowboys in 2026.” There was some thought that Pickens would engage in an extended holdout after the Cowboys used the franchise tag on him in March, but instead he signed the one-year tender guaranteeing him $27.3 million in 2026 on April 29.
Per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Pickens wasn’t present at the start of the Cowboys’ voluntary offseason workouts on May 12. It is a voluntary portion of the offseason calendar, so he wasn’t being fined for his absence. Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer told reporters in March he wasn’t sure if Pickens would attend voluntary workouts.
The next key date on the calendar for the Cowboys is June 1 when they hold their first OTA session. There is no indication at this point that Pickens won’t participate. Dallas is in a difficult spot with Pickens in terms of working out a long-term deal. The team already has Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and tight end Jake Ferguson signed to multiyear contracts.
The more this Josh Sweat situation develops, the harder it is for the Cowboys to ignore. Some rumors are just dust in the wind. They float around for a day or two, give folks something to fuss about, and disappear before anybody has to take them seriously. This one feels different. It has some roots to it. I like this one because it’s a real Cowboys need with an NFC East twist, and the kind of coaching connection that makes a front office conversation worth having.
This Could Be More Than Another Cowboys Rumor
Not every name belongs in Dallas just because the Cowboys need help. I’m not interested in chasing every veteran pass rusher who gets attached to a Cowboys trade headline. This isn’t one of those because I haven’t heard much about the Cowboys being interested. The Cowboys not being interested is what has piqued my interest. Sometimes the player that ends up in Dallas is the one who no one saw coming, and I think this could be one of those times. Josh Sweat isn’t just some worn-down name being sold off nostalgia. This is a guy who is still highly productive, disruptive, and is a player made for the exact defensive structure Dallas is trying to build.
The Cowboys hired Christian Parker as defensive coordinator after he spent time on the Eagles staff. We all know this gives Dallas a direct connection to the same Philadelphia building where Sweat became a proven edge rusher. This isn’t a throwaway detail. This could be the hinge the whole thing swings on. Parker was close enough to know what kind of player Sweat is. I’m not just talking about the sacks or the box score stats. I’m talking about the habits, the preparation, the way he handled coaching. Most importantly, the way he fit inside a defense that knew what winning football looked like. This is one I feel like the Cowboys wouldn’t be guessing about. They would have a defensive coordinator who can give the front office everything they need on Josh Sweat.
Christian Parker Changes the Entire Josh Sweat Conversation
Josh Sweat left Philadelphia for the Arizona Cardinals after helping the Eagles win big. He had eight sacks and 15 quarterback hits in the regular season with the Eagles, then added 2.5 sacks and three quarterback hits in Philadelphia’s Super Bowl win. That’s not window dressing, but big-stage production. Now the smoke is rising in Arizona. Reports have said Josh Sweat is unhappy with the Cardinals, and a possible trade request has surfaced amid frustration with his contract situation.
Why it doesn’t make ‘cents’ that the Cowboys are spending so much in this one area.
Predicting the future needs of the Dallas Cowboys has been a national pastime over the years. A year ago, Dallas’ upcoming needs at linebacker were about as predictable as they were serious, so it was no surprise they threw Dee Winters and Jaishawn Barham at the situation this offseason. A season before that, receiver led the needs list. After striking out on Tetairtoa McMillan in the draft, the Cowboys responded by trading for George Pickens.
Looking towards 2027 it appears tight end may be an unavoidable need the Cowboys must address. Since breaking out in 2023 it’s been two consecutive seasons of underachievement for TE1 Jake Ferguson. 2024 was a historically poor season for the Wisconsin product and 2025 was, at best, a lesson in how NOT to gain yards after the catch. With seven combined fumbles over the last two seasons, Ferguson has been anything but “safe” serving as Dak Prescott’s safety value.
Fergson’s cap number in 2026 ranks seventh highest on the team and per OTC his contract ranks eighth amongst fellow tight ends. PFF graded Ferguson 50 overall, far below Brevyn Spann-Ford who graded a respectable 16th. With a cap hit of over $9M again in 2027, the Cowboys could save money by cutting ties with the would-be 28-year-old. He headlines the Cowboys’ $16.2 million spend at the position, 11th-most in the league.
Behind Ferguson on the depth chart, there aren’t any obvious successors. Spann-Ford is a rising star and the Cowboys’ top graded tight end, but he’s primarily a blocker and lacks the downfield playmaking ability the team needs at TE1. Luke Schoonmaker is a career underachiever who will be hard-pressed to match Spann-Ford’s snap count in 2026. And in 2027, he’s a free agent so he’ll open up further vacancies on the Dallas depth chart. So, unless rookie undrafted free agent Michael Trigg impresses on and off the field in 2026, the Cowboys could be looking for two tight ends next offseason.
The margin between winning and losing is so thin in the NFL and the Cowboys have to do better when things get tight.
The NFL is the ultimate league of parity. This is part of why we all love it so much. Anything can happen, on any given Sunday as some like to say, and the margins for error are so thin compared to other sports and leagues.
We see this play out in terms of how NFL games often end. It always feels like things come down to the wire and wins and losses rest on how teams handle those final moments. Are they able to rise above and get the touchdown or field goal that they need, or can the defense lock in and get a stop?
These margins are thin as noted. The points of drama described often result in games ending with one team winning by a single score. Being able to be positive in that category is a big deal across the totality of a given season.
The Cowboys must fare better in one-possession games
As far as the Dallas Cowboys are concerned there is certainly room for improvement on the one-possession front. Last year was a mixed bag in that regard.
There were seven games played by the Cowboys last season that were ultimately decided by a single score.
20-24 loss to Eagles
40-37 win against Giants
40-40 tie against Packers
30-27 loss to Panthers
24-21 win against Eagles
31-28 win against Chiefs
34-26 loss to Vikings
30-23 win against Commanders
In total the Cowboys went 3-3-1 in one possession games last season, but it is important to note that some of these require a lot more context.
Consider the Giants win was a back and forth affair. That is a true and classic one-possession game where the Cowboys were fortunate to hold the ball last and win on a Brandon Aubrey field goal. Another win they had though, the 24-21 victory over the Eagles, came after Philadelphia blew a 21-0 lead. That was fun and awesome, but those things are pretty unlikely and hard to count on. That should have been a loss and easily should have been one is the point.
You can also point to the win against the Commanders as one that Dallas had taken care of before garbage time, and similarly the Cowboys were never really in it against Minnesota. The losses to the Eagles and Panthers were the ones that it feels fair to play the “if” game about, and we can certainly toss the Packers tie into that mix as well.
Daily discussion question: What is the worst team someone in your close circle roots for?
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