Cowboys 'lucky' to have 'elite receiver' George Pickens

Adam Schultz

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Cowboys 'lucky' to have 'elite receiver' George Pickens image

The Dallas Cowboys might have slumped to a 30-27 loss to the Carolina Panthers, but it wasn't due to George Pickens not showing up.

In the second game without CeeDee Lamb, Pickens was again the focal point of the offense, and again, he answered the call, with 168 yards and a touchdown from his nine catches.

It is now five straight games with a touchdown reception for Pickens as he hurdled his way to a monster game against the Panthers, with the defense powerless to stop him.

Pickens' season total now stands at 525 yards and six touchdowns as he is becoming a serious weapon for Brian Schottenheimer in the passing game, and speaking post-game, Dak Prescott knows what a talent No. 3 is.

“He’s just an elite receiver,” Prescott said. “He’s playing hard, he’s understanding everything we throw at him, then after he gets the ball in his hands, some of the things he does, only George can do. He’s a special player and we’re lucky to have him, and we’re only going to get better each game.”

More: Cowboys' Dak Prescott admits to 'frustrating' fourth quarter in Panthers loss

Should Cowboys offer Pickens a contract?

It was reported that both sides wanted to wait until the end of the season before talking contracts, but through the first six weeks, there is a case to be made that Pickens is pricing himself out of a deal that would allow him to stay in Dallas.

Of course, there is the franchise tag, which, right now, is projected to be around $28 million for the season, and if George is to get a long-term deal, you could make the case he's around $30 million APY if not higher, and we aren't sure if the Cowboys would be willing to pay that.

But there is no denying what Pickens has done for this offense, particularly in Lamb's absence, and it does make me curious to see what things look like when 88 returns.

While Pickens might want to wait until the end of the season before entering contract talks, Dallas might be wise to try to start them sooner rather than later.

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Adam Schultz

Adam Schultz is a freelance writer at The Sporting News. An Australian journalist with years of experience covering the Dallas Cowboys and the NFL, Adam has interviewed several high-profile athletes in Australia for various sites and brings a unique view on the NFL.