There has been no big public blowup or back-and-forth between the Cowboys and Pickens over the franchise tag, so is there reason to worry?
As we gear up for OTAs and training camp, Brian Schottenheimer's Dallas Cowboys have had, dare I say it, a smooth offseason.
With Javonte Williams, Brandon Aubrey, and now George Pickens all signing their new contracts (Pickens the franchise tag), as we begin May, there are no dark clouds hanging over the franchise.
Yes, Pickens signing his tag still has some sections of Cowboys Nation thinking that George will follow Micah Parsons last offseason and be traded. But everything we've heard from Dallas points in the opposite direction.
Of course, the Cowboys said the same thing about Micah, too.
But for ESPN's Jeff Darlington, Pickens signing the tag might not be about to be all doom and gloom for him and Dallas.
Instead, it's actually a good thing.
"It is significant in the sense that it projects that maybe things are okay, in terms of George Pickens actually playing on this franchise tag," Darlington said on ESPN's GetUp. " I know we are inclined anytime we hear a shred of news with the Cowboys to expect it to just unravel and turn into drama. The interesting part of this is actually all of this seems to avoid drama. Famous last words.
"George Pickens signing this does suggest that he is willing knowing that the team is not going to negotiate on a long-term deal, that he is willing to play for $27.3 million this season. I know that sounds clean, maybe too clean."
It is clean, and that is what has Cowboys Nation so nervous, because having a drama-free offseason, with no dark clouds hanging over a star player's future, isn't normal -- at least over the past handful of offseasons, anyway.
Yet here we are, and everyone is accounted for. Williams and Aubrey are locked down for the next couple of seasons and Pickens is for 2026.
We know that Jerry Jones likes his Cowboys to be "above the fold," as our Mike Fisher states, but right now, Dallas is merely a footnote in the NFL offseason, and in truth, it's a breath of fresh air.
Will it remain as such? Your guess is as good as mine, but there's no denying that things have changed this offseason.
Yes, there is still a long way to go, but with workouts beginning and OTAs set to begin in roughly a month, there doesn't appear to be any drama on the horizon.
Fingers crossed it stays that way.