CeeDee Lamb reveals his bold prediction for George Pickens' future contract, offering insights into navigating Dallas' salary cap and player desires.
There's no denying that the Dallas Cowboys' locker room wants receiver George Pickens to stick around beyond 2025, but as we know with the franchise and contracts, things are never easy.
Pickens is in the final year of his rookie contract, and given his production this season, which has seen him already post 908 yards and seven touchdowns, he is playing like a $30 million APY receiver, if not more.
Given that the Cowboys already have so much salary cap pie tied up to Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, along with three defensive tackles making $20 million APY, fitting Pickens into that salary cap, despite what others are saying, is easily doable.
It is just a question of whether Dallas wants to.
And for Lamb? He has a bold prediction.
while some think the relationships and the camaraderie being built are great with Pickens and a big thread to pull in contract negotiations, he knows that when it comes time to talk contract, that won't help George when talking to Jerry Jones.
But he knows what will.
"I don't think that kind of correlate with what's going on with the upstairs," Lamb said on how Pickens has fitted in so far. "I feel like all that we can control is what we do. How comfortable we make him and have him make an easier pitch as to wanting to be here. Us as teammates, we understand the situation, especially being that we've come from it recently, some maybe once or twice."
Lamb and Prescott are no strangers to dealing with Jerry and the front office when it comes to top-of-the-market deals, and Pickens is certainly going to be in that ballpark if he continues his form.
So, Lamb knows what the road ahead looks like, and Pickens will have a choice to make when it comes to his future.
Stay in Dallas and potentially take a little less money, with the plus side being how he is used in Brian Schottenheimer's system, and the love he has for his teammates. Or get the bag and move elsewhere, with the possibility of it not being as good as being in Dallas.
"That's a conversation that he's got to have with his agent, and I feel like I have the most confidence that we're going to keep him," Lamb said. "I'm sure that he wants to be here with how much fun he's having and everything that he's accomplishing on the field. So, for us as his teammates, I feel like it's pretty clear, like we want you to be back."
So, everyone seems aligned in their thoughts on Pickens' future.
Everyone wants him back ... from Schotty, to the locker room, but as we know, money talks.
Jerry stating he can afford to pay Pickens top money is different from actually doing it. But Lamb has his confident prediction. And that'll have to do for now.