Cowboys' George Pickens Announces Injury Status vs. 49ers: Jerry Jones Trade Win Or Loss?

FRISCO - Be careful what you ask(ed) for. Because, when it comes to Jerry Jones and Dallas Cowboys’ wide receivers, the best trades are the ones not made.

I get it. Despite last Sunday’s sheepish win over the lowly Indianapolis Colts the Cowboys are an undisciplined (see DeMarvion Overshown) and unsuccessful (see 4-5 record) football team.

At Tuesday’s trade deadline, the last thing fans wanted was no moves and a vote of confidence for the status woe. Alas, here we are. Receiver George Pickens is still a Cowboy and - considering he’s playing on the franchise tag - still a looming problem next offseason.

Our Mike Fisher reported that the Cowboys did not exchange deadline phone calls with any team on Pickens ... and further, as it regards his happiness here, Fish reported that on Tuesday - the players' day off - Pickens was nevertheless inside The Star here in Frisco, putting in work.

Still, with Pickens’ production falling off the (relative) cliff from a season ago, this deadline decision now at least opens the door for the Cowboys to let him walk in free agency in exchange for likely a third-round compensatory draft pick.

First things first, of course; the Cowboys play host the powerful 49ers on Sunday with Pickens in the news due to a nagging hamstring problem. ... and on Friday afternoon, Pickens himself announced an update.

"You gonna see me out there (on Sunday),'' he said, via Calvin Watkins. "You got to turn the TV screen on ... When you turn that TV on, get some food make sure if you have a wife or girlfriend, make sure you hug her, love her and when you turn the TV on, you should see me."

But looking back in comparing the Pickens questions to Jerry's history in this department?

Good. That can help justify the trade that brought Pickens here a year ago from Pittsburgh and it can help justify the decision to keep him.

And believe me, it could be worse. Much, much worse.

Because although Jerry shrewdly traded up in the 2010 NFL Draft to select Dez Bryant, his history of directly trading receivers is abysmal at best.

While the Cowboys have made their share of fantastic swaps – Herschel Walker and Charles Haley quickly come to mind in setting up three Super Bowls in the 1990s – the biggest fumbles have come at receiver.

Exchanging a fourth-rounder for unproven Jonathan Mingo in 2025 while the Washington Commanders acquired former Pro Bowler Deebo Samuel for a fifth was way out of whack. And giving the Raiders a first-round pick for Amari Cooper in 2018 and then trading him to the Cleveland Browns for only a fifth-rounder in 2022 is an alarmingly significant net loss. ... even though we were first to report Amari's "shrinkage'' (the way he shied from pitching in in the clutch) as the reason for the give-away.

But deciding on the Cowboys’ worst in franchise history comes down to two Jerry debacle deals: Joey Galloway vs. Roy Williams.

In 2000, Jones was desperately clinging to the last, gasping breaths of his 1990s dynasty. Emmitt Smith was a 31-year-old running back in decline. Troy Aikman was one more concussion from retirement. And Michael Irvin had just been forced to hang up his cleats because of a neck injury.

In a desperate move to resuscitate the offense, Jerry traded two first-round draft picks to the Seahawks in exchange for the speedy Galloway. The results were disastrous.

Galloway suffered a torn ACL in his first game, paving the way for a 5-11 season that ended in Aikman’s retirement. He produced 2,279 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns over three seasons before being traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004 for Keyshawn Johnson.

One of the picks sent to Seattle turned into running back Shaun Alexander, who set an NFL record for touchdowns in a season and later won MVP.

Oh, and one more thing: Word is that Seattle was giving a thumbs-up on taking one first-rounder when Jerry – unprovoked – out of the blue offered two first-round picks.

The deal for Williams in 2008, however, might have been even worse.

Trying to add weapons for ascending quarterback Tony Romo, Jerry traded three picks – a first, third and sixth – to the Lions for Williams. The transaction was amplified when the owner/GM immediately signed the receiver to a six-year, $54 million contract that irked Terrell Owens.

In his two-plus seasons in Dallas, Williams never topped 600 yards receiving or caught more than seven touchdowns. He was ultimately beat out of a job by undrafted free agent Miles Austin and unceremoniously cut by the Cowboys in 2011.

Many Cowboys fans wanted Jerry to be a seller at the deadline by trading Pickens and acquiring picks for a more promising 2027 and beyond. But given his track record on receiver swaps, Jerry could have ruined both the present and the future.

So, maybe it's better to leave well enough alone.