Pickens could hold out if tagged, demanding top receiver money. The Cowboys face a tough decision on the star's future and massive contract.
FRISCO - Jerry Jones is on-record as saying he enjoys the publicity-related benefits of artificially "stirring things up'' when it comes to his Dallas Cowboys.
But in the case of George Pickens?
The "stirring'' might not be artificial.
And it might not be the Cowboys owner at the business end of the spoon.
Cowboys COO Stephen Jones revealed a worst-kept secret on Monday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, confirming the team's plan to keep contractual control of Pickens by applying the franchise tag.
Added Jones: “I wouldn’t put any timeframe (on a contract). Once you have a tag, you have a tag. We know George is going to be here. ... We want Pickens here. We think the world of him. We love him. And I think he wants to be here.”
That positivity should squelch the idea that Dallas harbors some secret plan to trade Pickens.
But it doesn't mean there might not be some potential contract drama between the wide receiver and the Cowboys.
Once Pickens receives the $28 million one-year-guarantee franchise tag this offseason (due by March 3), but then doesn't get a new long-term deal (which we're projecting to be four years and $30 to $32 million APY), there's certainly a chance he won't report for the Cowboys' offseason program.
Stephen's response to that notion?
“It crosses your mind,'' he said. "(But) a lot of the guys we’ve tagged participated in everything, Dak (Prescott) leading the way ... He never missed anything. Hopefully that’ll be the case here.”
An unhappy Pickens might be a problem, as it was a year ago, when Micah Parsons forced his way out of Dallas (and into a trade to Green Bay) in part by pouting his way through limited participation in team workouts.
But a true holdout? Pickens would be ill-advised to do that for too long as he would lose $28 million and (unless he reports by Week 1`0 of the regular season) would also lose a year toward being a vested veteran ...
Putting right back into the same situation with the Cowobys next offseason.
Pickens, who turns 25 in March, experienced a breakout season in his first year with the Cowboys after being traded here last spring from Pittsburgh. He was eighth in the league in receptions (93), third in receiving yards (1,429) and tied for eighth in receiving touchdowns (nine) and was named to the Pro Bowl with second-team All-Pro honors.
But for now, Jones' calm words - "We know George is going to be here'' - as the best evidence of some calm ... though maybe after a storm.