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The current expectation is the Dallas Cowboys are going to use the franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens.
In terms of what happens next, The Athletic's Jon Machota reports that Dallas is going to work with Pickens on a long-term extension, but a deal must be reached by July 15 or else Pickens will have to play the upcoming season on the franchise tag.
While it was initially believed a tag-and-trade was on the table for Dallas, Machota says that the Cowboys have no interest in trading Pickens.
"Cowboys WR George Pickens is expected to get the franchise tag, Machota wrote. "If the two sides cannot work out a long-term deal by July 15, Pickens would remain under the tag for the upcoming season. The Cowboys are not interested in trading the star wide receiver."
This is bad news for receiver-needy teams like the Washington Commanders, Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders, as Pickens is now going to remain off the free-agent market and isn't likely to even be available via trade.
The Bills and Raiders are in a similar boat in that they both need a No. 1 receiver, along with more depth. Washington needs a new running mate for Terry McLaurin if the team doesn't re-sign Deebo Samuel in free agency.
We would also say this is bad news for the Cowboys because the last thing Dallas should be doing is committing a large chunk of money to another wide receiver.
Sure, Pickens was great last season, but his showing did nothing to change Dallas' fortunes. The Cowboys missed the playoffs, with the defense being the biggest culprit.
As a result, the Cowboys, who are already in salary cap hell at $55.3 million over, should be dumping all of their resources into the defense, which needs significant additions at just about every level.
All of this and we haven't even mentioned the very real possibility that Pickens holds out if he doesn't get a long-term deal.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport noted Pickens' agent, David Mulugheta, is "not a fan" of the tag, which only increases the possibility that the mercurial wide receiver holds out.
“David Mulugheta does not like the tag," Rapoport said. "He is not a fan. He’s had guys who have been on the tag. He does not like it. So, I don’t know what George Pickens is gonna do, I just know, historically, you may not see him for a bit."
Even if Pickens agrees to play on the tag, the Cowboys would have to carry every penny of the $28 million franchise tag cost on their books in 2026, which would mean Dallas has even less resources to work with.
The Cowboys also have to worry about Pickens reverting back to the bad boy he was during his days with the Pittsburgh Steelers after getting paid. We've seen glimpses of that side of Pickens in Dallas.
What the Cowboys should do is tag Pickens and send him off to the highest bidder.
We also wouldn't mind Dallas letting him walk in order to get a compensatory pick, although the Cowboys might not get one if Jerry Jones is aggressive in free agency.
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