Cowboys player says what's becoming increasingly obvious about George Pickens four games into wide receiver's career in Dallas
In the aftermath of the Dallas Cowboys' trade for wide receiver George Pickens, there was a point in which a report emerged indicated multiple NFL teams "laughed at the idea of inviting Pickens into their locker room for any price."
Pickens' attitude—often criticized in his days as a Georgia Bulldog and Pittsburgh Steeler—was the major question surrounding the Cowboys' biggest trade in years. It was never about the football but the player's behavior. So while Pickens' on-field success including 300 receiving yards and four touchdowns in four games isn't exactly a surprise, his way of handling himself is.
Cowboys safety Juanyeh Thomas—who is in line to start Sunday against the New York Jets after Malik Hooker was ruled out Friday and later placed on Injured Reserve—recently shared his thoughts about Pickens on social media.
Cowboys safety says Pickens is a Top 3 teammate in Dallas
Thomas not only said that Pickens is a good teammate, which is becoming increasingly obvious, but he said he's one of the best on the team.
"If we had a vote for the best teammate in the locker room, George would be easily in the top 3," Thomas posted before suggesting the Pickens narrative was media-driven.
The post was in response to a Steelers fan account reading "Turns out he's a great guy!"
In reality, the Pickens narrative wasn't only media-driven but also pushed by people in the Steelers organization. What's become clear, however, is that the Cowboys wide receiver has grown in the past year. Perhaps the trade was a wake up call or perhaps he's just genuinely happier in Dallas, where he's surrounded by a better offense.
Speaking of, Pickens' relationship with the team has clearly been nurtured by Dak Prescott, Brian Schottenheimer, and even CeeDee Lamb, who even told media in the offseason that both receivers were co-ones.
Will Pickens change if he goes several games without being targeted a lot? That might be the final hurdle the Cowboys have to clear. But right now, the honeymoon phase is still ongoing and paying dividends for an offense that will need Pickens to step up as the WR1 for the second consecutive week.
Bengals-Giants trade proposal solves Jaxson Dart, Joe Burrow problems in QB swap
The New York Giants have too many quarterbacks. And the Cincinnati Bengals may not have enough.
Sounds like a trade match.
That's what Bleacher Report's Alex Kay thinks. He suggests the Giants should trade Russell Wilson to the Bengals for a seventh-round pick.
That would clear the decks for Jaxson Dart to take over as the Giants' starting QB, and they'd still have veteran Jameis Winston around to back him up.
And for the Bengals, it'd give them a better option than Jake Browning for as long as Joe Burrow is out with his toe injury.
"If the Daboll-Schoen tandem wants to stick around into 2026 and beyond, they'll need to get Dart on the field and develop him quickly," Kay writes. "The Ole Miss product had a stellar preseason, but now must show he can succeed on Sundays. It won't be easy behind a shaky offensive line, but Dart could potentially thrive with an elite pass-catcher in Malik Nabers and a solid ground attack led by the duo of Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr. to lean on... While Wilson's market might be cold, the Cincinnati Bengals could be willing to kick over a late-Day 3 pick to land a bridge starter until Joe Burrow can return. The Giants should jump at any chance to add some draft capital while opening the door for a turnaround under Dart."
Russ has had a roller coaster start to the season for the Giants. He had two rough outings sandwiched around a 450-yard performance in Week 2.
Dart was great in the preseason but has only gotten a few snaps so far as a gadget player who hasn't been tasked with throwing yet.
The Giants need to look toward the future, while the Bengals could use the help in the present.
It certainly makes a lot of sense on paper.
