Dallas Cowboys fans begged the front office to add a legitimate No. 2 wide receiver ever since the NFL offseason began, and Jerry Jones & Co. finally addressed that need. The Cowboys acquired standout wideout George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday in a deal that involved three draft picks, finally giving CeeDee Lamb a proper counterpart.
Understandably, the Cowboys fanbase can't wait to see what Pickens does on the gridiron. The former Georgia Bulldog is averaging nearly 950 receiving yards per season to begin his NFL career, and has the potential to take Dallas' aerial attack to the next level if he instantly clicks with quarterback Dak Prescott.
As exciting as Pickens' arrival is, the newest Cowboys' addition likely spells bad news for another veteran pass-catcher on the roster.
Cowboys Acquiring George Pickens is Bad News for Parris Campbell
Before the Pickens trade and the 2025 NFL draft, the Cowboys looked to free agency to help address their WR needs. Their search led to former Philadelphia Eagles wideout Parris Campbell, whom they signed to a one-year, $1.3 million contract just a few days after the market opened.
Campbell is a six-year veteran who was drafted 59th overall by the Indianapolis Colts in 2019. Having said that, injuries have prevented the former Ohio State Buckeye from realizing his potential, only hitting double-digit appearances twice since the 2019 campaign.
Even if he stays healthy in Dallas, Campbell becoming the Cowboys' WR2 was always a stretch. The 27-year-old WR is nearly three years removed from his best performance (63 catches, 623 yards, three touchdowns in 17 games), and has only posted a 26-134-1 stat line in 17 games split between the Eagles and New York Giants across the last two seasons.
Meanwhile, Pickens has only missed three games to begin his promising NFL career. Even though the trio of missed appearances happened last season, the former 1,000-yard playmaker still tallied 59 catches for 900 receiving yards and three touchdowns, as well as finishing with the 23rd-best receiving grade (79.7) among eligible WRs on Pro Football Focus.
With Pickens officially on the roster, Campbell's uphill battle to crack head coach Brian Schottenheimer's lineup is only tougher. Returning wideouts Jonathan Mingo, Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks, and KaVontae Turpin already have familiarity with Prescott, and that's without mentioning the promising undrafted WR duo of Traeshon Holden and Josh Kelly.
If the Cowboys want to move on from Campbell, a potential divorce wouldn't cost much. The veteran's release would create $1.03 million in cap savings at any point this offseason, per Spotrac, giving Dallas some flexibility in this situation.
It might not be long before Cowboys fans have a better sense of Campbell's fate. America's Team will be holding its organized team activities (OTAs) beginning on Monday, May 19, giving the free-agent signing only a few weeks to prove he belongs in the fold this fall.