The Dallas Cowboys offense improved two weeks ago after acquiring wide receiver George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers. One Eagles player liked the move not just for what it did for the Cowboys’ roster but for what it could do for the Eagles.
Wide receiver A.J. Brown gave a candid account of his life experiences during a talk with children at the Delaware County District Court in Chester, Pennsylvania, aimed at keeping youth on the right path. In the video posted on YouTube, when asked about the Pickens trade, Brown said he liked it.
“I’m not going to lie, we’re going to have to worry about them, for sure,” Brown said. “I do like the trade. I like competition. I like George Pickens. I like CeeDee Lamb and that collab. It’s going to be exciting to watch because all that does is bring the best out of us. If we know how they are coming, we know we have to step it up.”
Brown also provided insight on competing against NFC East rivals.
“Regardless of what the scoreboard says, those are some of the hardest games, every single time. With the Cowboys and Washington, those are dogfights. It may look easy, but it isn’t easy.”
Pickens caught 59 passes for 900 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games with the Steelers last season. However, after the team acquired former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf, Pickens became expendable after failing to “grow up,” according to Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.
In last season’s game against the Eagles — his only matchup with them in his three NFL seasons — Pickens finished with one catch for 3 yards.
Having Pickens alongside Lamb could create more single coverage opportunities for both receivers and potentially strengthen the Cowboys’ rushing attack by forcing safeties to play deeper. The Cowboys ranked 27th in rushing offense last season, averaging 100.7 yards per game. The Eagles ranked 10th in run defense, allowing 104.2 yards per game.
The combination of Pickens, Lamb, Brown and Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith adds intrigue to the potential for explosive passing plays when the teams meet in Week 1.
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.
Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.