When star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb exited the game against the Chicago Bears in Week 3 with an ankle injury, things looked bleak for the Dallas Cowboys, especially with a porous defense that continues to put embarrassing performances together. That has not been the case, at least on offense, as offseason trade acquisition George Pickens has become a go-to option for quarterback Dak Prescott.
Despite the 30-27 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Pickens logged a career-high nine receptions for 168 yards and a touchdown. That was the second time he has eclipsed 100 receiving yards in Lamb's absence, and a major reason why Prescott is doing his best to keep Pickens around in the final year of his rookie deal.
With some standout performances and his ability to thrive as the No. 1 receiver with Lamb out, there is definitely the potential for him to be traded, especially if things go south again in Week 7.
George Pickens Staying with Cowboys Isn't Guaranteed
Pickens has clearly elevated his performance on the field and matured since his days with the Pittsburgh Steelers, leaving his former team regretting that they ever traded him in the first place. Despite his phenomenal play, though, the defense has held Dallas back and kept it from taking advantage.
With a 2-3-1 record, the Cowboys are third in the NFC East, trailing the Washington Commanders (3-3) and first-place Philadelphia Eagles (4-2).
The Cowboys have the first of two meetings against the Commanders on Sunday, so their position in the division is guaranteed to change one way or another. While Washington has had its own defensive issues, the mobility of QB Jayden Daniels and his ability to create plays down the field will likely be a problem for the Dallas defense to contain. Dallas is already a long shot to make the playoffs (+390) according to FanDuel Sportsbook, so another loss to a division opponent in addition to the Week 1 loss to Philadelphia would be a huge setback.
Owner/general manager Jerry Jones sounds optimistic about Lamb's return, which is great news for the Cowboys, considering he already had 16 receptions for 222 yards before his injury. While the combination of Lamb and Pickens may be one of the best receiver duos in the league, paying both of them is probably not tenable long-term with Pickens in the midst of the final year of his deal.
After all, Pickens has a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 81.8, good for ninth out of 85 qualified receivers, as well as the third-most receiving yards (525) and the most TDs (six). With the uptick in performance from Pickens and Lamb reclaiming his WR1 status when he returns, it is fair to wonder how Pickens will handle going back to the WR2 role, given how he has performed as the go-to option with Lamb sidelined.
With a challenging schedule ahead, a postseason berth is no certainty for Dallas.
If the playoffs are off the table for Dallas or looking bleak as the Nov. 4 trade deadline approaches, the Cowboys could at least consider getting what they can while Pickens' value is still high from the recent success. He has clearly become a huge weapon on offense, but a trade cannot be ruled out for that reason, especially if the team's overall results don't improve on the field and another franchise has the right pieces to offer.
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