For now, it looks like the Dallas Cowboys are winning the George Pickens saga. There weren't any trade suitors, and he agreed to play ball and signed his franchise tag tender. That can always change, though.
Pickens hasn't been at OTAs, and he may not show up for as long as workouts are voluntary. He will make $27.3 million on a one-year, fully guaranteed contract, far less than what he could've gotten in the open market.
That's why, after watching the Green Bay Packers give Christian Watson a four-year, $110.5 million contract extension, the former Pittsburgh Steelers draft pick might not be happy. That's bad news for Jerry Jones and company.
Christian Watson's overpay might spell trouble for the Dallas Cowboys
Watson getting that type of money may have two implications for the Cowboys. First, Pickens' asking price has inevitably gone up. He'll now make less money than a guy who has missed 20 regular-season games in four years and has zero Pro Bowl appearances or major accolades.
That leads us to the second point. Even Watson is getting paid and has some sort of long-term financial security. Granted, his $31 million guaranteed rank 26th among wide receivers, but he still got something. The Cowboys, on the other hand, have gone the extra mile to ensure they won't even consider giving Pickens another deal, adding that no one else in the league seemed to want him.
Jerry Jones has a long history of disrespecting his players. He looks down on them and rubs them the wrong way every time they're negotiating a new deal, as if his words were magically going to lower their actual market value. Then he ends up giving them an updated market value at the eleventh hour, paying much more than he would've had he gotten the deal done on time.
Pickens may not want to risk losing more money by holding out, but it's hard to believe he'll actually be satisfied and fully on board with this situation. However, he may have more leverage if he pushes for a new deal closer to training camp. Maybe he's playing the long game and patiently waiting to get what he's earned on the field.
The Cowboys always knew they were rolling the dice when they traded for Pickens. It has worked like a charm so far, but given his volatile temper and how star players have handled these situations in the past, it just feels like this isn't the end of the saga.
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