Cowboys rumors swirl as folks propose trading George Pickens. But are these "silly season" suggestions plausible, or do they miss the urgency in Dallas?
FRISCO - Is it “NFL Silly Season’’ already?
For some wishing to grab attention by misusing George Pickens’ name, it is.
One fanboy website is constructing ridiculous Pickens trades that would net the Dallas Cowboys only a first-round pick in exchange … a notion that’s not impossible but one that would cause the Dallas coaching staff and personnel department to march on the Jones ownership wing with torches and pitchforks.
What’s wrong with the idea? Dallas knows it’ll be difficult to find a wideout anywhere to replicate what the unicorn Pickens can do.
An outlet calling itself “Pro Football Network’’ is projecting that Pickens - who just posted a spectacular first year here after last spring’s trade with the Steelers, putting up 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns on 93 catches - will be allowed to leave Dallas via free agency so he can sign with the Buffalo Bills.
The site writes, “Josh Allen needs a true alpha target, and Pickens is the best one available .... This move screams urgency.”
What’s wrong with this idea? It means Dallas lets the Pro Bowler Pickens walk for nothing (but a future compensatory pick) … and again, while anything is possible, doesn’t Dallas’ situation - with Jerry Jones approaching age 84 and Dak Prescott approaching age 33 - also “scream urgency’’?
And then there is this doozy, the nuttiest idea of ‘em all: Heavy is semi-predicting that Dallas says goodbye to the pricy Pickens (ignoring what I’ve reported about how the Cowboys are planning on franchise-tagging George at $28 million in 2026) while saying hello to …
Brandon Aiyuk?!
When Pickens came here, he carried with him what can be most respectfully categorized as “baggage.’’ He had talent that exploded off the page, but it was matched by an equally explosive personality - on and off the field. Pickens built a hot-head reputation that Pittsburgh simply got tired of. So they moved him.
The move turned out to be a gold strike for the Cowboys, who happily took the “risk’’ and paired All-Pro CeeDee Lamb with the 24-year-old Pickens, who cleaned up his maturity concerns and balled out.
I’ve been doing this long enough (35 years covering the Cowboys, 41 years covering the NFL) to also cover something else: My arse. Anything can happen in this Never-Say-Never league.
That applies to George and the Cowboys.
It does not logically apply to Aiyuk replacing George with the Cowboys.
Writer Daniel Arwas of Heavy thinks San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is an “out-of-the-box” option that’d make sense for the Cowboys to pursue.
Aiyuk is not in a good place, physically or mentally. He missed the entire 2025 season as he tore his ACL and he unplugged from his team after having signed a four-year $120 million contract with San Francisco.
“I think it’s safe to say that he’s played his last snap with the Niners,” GM John Lynch said this week. “It’s unfortunate. A situation that just went awry. And I will look long and hard at what could have been done differently, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out. And I think that this was a case where that happened.”
Added Niners coach Kyle Shanahan: “There’s not much of an explanation because it’s really hard for us and anyone else to understand. That’s why it’s something I’ve never seen in 22 years of coaching. It’s unfortunate and it’s confusing …’’
It’s also confusing why anyone would connect Aiyuk to Dallas.
Fantasize about a first-round trade of Pickens because of his price tag? OK, I guess. Have your fun envisioning Josh Allen throwing to Pickens? OK, I guess. Propose that the Pickens solution is to simply replace him with Aiyuk?
Not OK.