The Dallas Cowboys are gearing up for what could be their most explosive season yet. Why? Dak Prescott has a mission to lead the team to victory. And this time, he has not one, but two major offensive pieces in his arsenal that are catching many eyes. CeeDee Lamb was already a legend in the making on the Dallas roster. Now add the explosive George Pickens in the fray, and it’s a clear warning to the 31 NFL franchises to watch out for the coming season. But Pickens comes with a tag of ‘issues’ and ‘attitude problems’. Fans and analysts have been worried about what that means for the Dallas depth chart. But now, it looks like we finally have an answer on that from the team.

George Pickens has had his fair share of fines and troubles so far with the Steelers. In one particular game against the Cowboys (yes, the Cowboys), Pickens had a tussle with CB Jourdan Lewis. Steelers HC Mike Tomlin wasn’t happy. He said Pickens has “got to grow up.” While we don’t know if that’s the reason the trade happened this offseason, it was also curious that the Cowboys chose him after that incident. Pickens is already looking forward to his time with Dallas, and he has made it known already. “Everyone in the world has to grow as you get older – I’m just trying to build a winning culture, which they already have at the Cowboys. I’m just glad to be joining.” But the Cowboys don’t see Pickens as the problem child. If anything, he’s the bundle of opportunity they’ve been eagerly waiting for.

Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer put the question to rest once and for all in a recent presser. Schottenheimer called Pickens a “tremendous athlete”, and as he joins the Dallas locker room, there’s no question he’ll be able to contribute big time. Schottenheimer said, “My time with him has been just incredible. – I think we’re always trying to find the right pieces and good pieces. And I think we’re really excited about what he brings as a football player. – I see a guy that’s maturing. I see a guy that we’re excited to put out there and watch him grow and get better.” High praises from the HC for sure. This isn’t a guy who’s looking at the past. He’s determined to do his part for Dallas with everything he’s got.

As per a post on X by RJ Ochoa, “Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said that the team does not have any culture concerns with George Pickens and that they are bringing him into their culture because they believe in him.” And if that wasn’t enough, even Schottenheimer believes that “CeeDee said it best.” What did CeeDee say? Well, there’s no competition between the two. It’s just a depth chart full of opportunities and explosive plays. “We’re both No. 1’s. It ain’t no [1A, 1B situation], none of that.” The Cowboys are going all in with two star WRs to give Dak Prescott all the flexibility he needs. Everybody’s “onboard” with Pickens, not just their HC. And that is a cause for concern for the rest of the NFL. More importantly, it’s a cause for worry for their biggest rival.

George Pickens is shaking up 2024’s biggest franchise

Rivalries in the NFL hit home harder when there’s respect involved. And that’s exactly what Eagles’ WR A.J. Brown is showing. Respect, and a little worry, too. On a recent YouTube video, Brown voiced his opinions. He said, “We’re going to have to worry about (Dallas), for sure – I like the trade. I do like the trade. I like the competition. I like George Pickens, I like CeeDee Lamb. And they collab. It’s going to be exciting to watch. Because all that does is bring the best out of us. So, if we know how they coming, we are going to have to step it up.” How the Eagles will step up to the Pickens + Lamb “collab” remains to be seen. But fans won’t have to wait very long for that to play out.

According to the Eagles’ schedule, the first matchup with the Dallas Cowboys will be on September 4, week 1 of the regular season. So it’s just a matter of September rolling around when we’ll get to see how the Eagles fare against Lamb, Pickens, and Prescott’s offensive trio. And Pickens? He’s already gearing up in a big way to show up and show out, not just against the Eagles, but every single chance he will get. Additionally, Schottenheimer has also noted, “I love watching him in meetings. – he’s been so dialed in, taking great notes. He knows he’s a little bit behind, not a lot, but a little bit behind in terms of what the veterans are doing. But his intentionality in the meeting room has been really cool for me to see.”

As the offseason continues, we’ll get to see explosive plays between the Dallas golden trio in training. How much Pickens can grow from now till September will determine how much more Dallas’ offense can make an impact this year. It’s a 100% promise of grit vs. grit. And we can hardly wait for the season to begin.