The draft has some quality receivers, and with the Cowboys having two first-round picks, could that factor into Dallas' thinking on Pickens' future?
The Dallas Cowboys and the future of George Pickens is going to be a hot storyline of the offseason, and yes, I can hear Cowboys Nation letting out a collective sigh at that thought.
But we know how Dallas operates when it comes to contracts, and with the franchise tag in its back pocket, get ready for this to be a long, drawn-out saga.
We know it doesn't need to be, and with the likelihood of Pickens playing on the tag, the most likely scenario, it seems like the Cowboys will be willing to let this thing go the distance.
But what if something altered their thoughts on Pickens and the $28 million tag?
Say, like the quality receivers in the upcoming draft?
With Dallas having No. 12 and No. 20 as its first-round picks, could the franchise be swayed to go in a different direction with Pickens?
That was brought up to The Athletic's Jon Machota on 105.3 The Fan.
"I'm going off of the entire season just hearing things, seeing things around The Star, and whether you talk to Dak, Jerry, or Brian, everybody will tell you that he far exceeded their expectations," Machota said. "If he played like a good No. 2 receiver had 900 yards and four or five touchdowns, maybe they'd be willing to.
"I just think that he was too impressive to them and then the fact that they didn't even have CeeDee healthy that entire time. The fact that it was only Brian's first year calling the offense, I just think that there was too much positive on offense last year for them to do anything that could possibly set you back there."
The idea of the Cowboys changing their approach with Pickens due to drafting a receiver would send the fan base into a meltdown.
The Cowboys have such a good thing going on offense, and with the cap space and first-round draft picks, there's a clear path towards overhauling the defense for Christian Parker.
Then again, this is Dallas, and the franchise doesn't exactly align with the rest of the league in some aspects.
But surely this is an open-and-shut case, right? Pickens stays in Dallas?
Cowboys Nation sure hopes so.