The good news is the Cowboys finally found someone to twin up with CeeDee Lamb, trading for a big, fast receiver Pro Football Focus ranked even higher at the position than Lamb, if you can believe it.<\/p>\n
The bad news is, it\u2019s George Pickens.<\/p>\n
For a third-rounder and change, the Cowboys get a former second-round pick of the Steelers who\u2019s accumulated at least 800 yards in each of the last three seasons despite working with quarterbacks past their prime or still in search of one.<\/p>\n
Brian Schottenheimer also gets a guy called \u201ctruculent\u201d and a \u201cproblem receiver\u201d by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, citing his \u201ctemperament on the field\u201d and \u201crepeated\u201d team violations that \u201cbecame burdensome to his teammates and coach Mike Tomlin.\u201d<\/p>\n
The head coach didn\u2019t exactly make a secret of it. After a win over the Bengals in Week 13 in which Pickens was flagged twice for unsportsmanlike conduct, Tomlin pulled no punches.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s just got to grow up, man,\u201d the head coach said. \u201cThis is an emotional game, man. These divisional games are big. He\u2019s got a target on his back because he\u2019s George; he understands that. But he\u2019s got to grow up.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s got to grow up in a hurry.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the team\u2019s year-end presser, Tomlin said Pickens had made progress but there was \u201ccertainly a heck of a lot more ground to be covered.\u201d<\/p>\n
Besides arguing with fans and getting in fights and having to be restrained by his teammates, Pickens reportedly was late to work last season on \u201cmultiple occasions,\u201d according to the Post-Gazette. Showed up after the inactive players were announced for the Steelers\u2019 Christmas Day game.<\/p>\n
The recurring issues made the Steelers rethink the possibility of a long-term deal for Pickens, who\u2019s going into the final season of his rookie contract. They\u2019d considered pairing him with newly acquired DK Metcalf, perhaps thinking it might persuade Aaron Rodgers to take a closer look.<\/p>\n
They ultimately decided Pickens wasn\u2019t worth the risk, which now belongs to the Cowboys, who are at least used to such things.<\/p>\n
Jerry Jones has a long history of risk-taking when desperate. Their current state in the NFC East qualifies.<\/p>\n
Despite the obvious need, the Cowboys didn\u2019t even draft a receiver once Tetairoa McMillan went before they were on the clock in the first round. McMillan, 6-4, would have fit a profile the Cowboys have been seeking across from Lamb. They gave up a fourth-rounder for Jonathan Mingo (6-2, 220) and now a third and the swap of a fifth for a sixth to get Pickens, who goes 6-3, 200.<\/p>\n
Dak Prescott will enjoy the catch radius, and Pickens should like playing catch with someone other than Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky, Mason Rudolph, Russell Wilson or Justin Fields.<\/p>\n
Chad \u201cOchocinco\u201d Johnson will tell you how much difference a system and quarterback can make for Pickens.<\/p>\n
\u201cListen to me,\u201d Johnson told USA Today. \u201cI\u2019ve seen his skillset. I know what he can do. Stay with me real quick. If he got the opportunities Ja\u2019Marr Chase got in the Steelers\u2019 offense, what do you think his numbers would be? If George Pickens got the opportunity Justin Jefferson got with Minnesota, what do you think his numbers would be?\u201d<\/p>\n
Johnson is also well aware of the problems Pickens has created for himself. Even sat him down recently and explained his \u201cshrinking\u201d window of opportunity. Johnson was so pleased with how the session went, he assured USA Today that Pickens wouldn\u2019t be a problem going forward.<\/p>\n
If it works out, maybe the Cowboys should hire Ochocinco as a counselor. If he\u2019s got anything left, they could even double-dip.<\/p>\n