FRISCO — The Dallas Cowboys' reserved approach to the offseason and free agency over the past two seasons not only stirred the ire of their fan base but also cost them on the field. Dallas lacked the talent to compete with the powers of the NFL and even struggled with teams to or beneath their level.
Bargain acquisitions and execution on draft day can only do so much for a team hoping to contend. Sometimes the big fish must be reeled in.
The Cowboys finally heard the noise, observed a need and filled it, trading for wide receiver George Pickens last month. Immediately, the team's lackluster receiving corps got a boost and Dallas boasts one of the top tandems in the NFC.
So how does that move stack up against what their competition did this spring? Bleacher Report analyzed all major moves off the offseason from trades, signings and staff decisions. They ranked the Pickens trade outside the top 10 at No. 11 overall.
"The Dallas Cowboys head into every season with Texas-sized aspirations, but the team also had a 10-gallon hole at wide receiver opposite CeeDee Lamb.
"George Pickens had an up-and-down three years in Pittsburgh, but he never had less than 800 receiving yards in a season and the potential to be an excellent No. 2 receiver in Dallas. For a Day 2 pick in 2026 (plus a pick swap), Pickens is more than worth the "risk."
As big as the Pickens trade was for the Cowboys, this upper middle-of-the-pack ranking makes sense when one looks at the bigger picture. Pickens has one year left on his rookie deal and has bet on himself to cash in next offseason.
This deal will teeter one of two ways for the Cowboys. Of the negative possibilities, Pickens does not gel in his new home and leaves next offseason, signing for more money or just finding a different situation.
The Cowboys technically get the pick that they initially traded back in their reservoir though the move will then be remembered as one of little purpose. Alternatively, the Pickens fit on paper translates to the field, the Cowboys succeed and re-up for a Lamb-Pickens ticket to lead their offense through the coming years.
In that scenario, this trade would be remembered as a top move and arguably the best of this offseason.
All the reports and murmurings out of OTAs have been positive thus far, but this move cannot be judged until the Cowboys take the field in September. They have taken their gamble and have a few months to show they hit big with their new receiver.