If the Los Angeles Rams really want to make a splash, they should call the Dallas Cowboys about George Pickens. The problem is the cost, while the upside is obvious.
When guys like Quenton Nelson, DeForest Buckner and Jeffrey Simmons are suddenly joining title contenders in your own conference, it feels underwhelming if the best option you have is to effectively promote from within, even if that’s more sensible. If the Rams want to maximize their aggressiveness (and their championship window), a swing
for George Pickens would add major pop to this offense.
If Les Snead can convince Jerry Jones to trade him, that is. The Cowboys have yet to concede that their season is lost or that Pickens isn’t part of their future despite a franchise tag.
Pickens is the only WR trade worth it
There are plenty of good options when it comes to available wide receivers this year. Brian Thomas Jr. of the Jacksonville Jaguars is the biggest name on the market, while Josh Downs from the Indianapolis Colts is a name that’s been gaining steam as that franchise goes into tank mode for the rest of the season. There are also some slightly less high-profile options, like the Cleveland Browns’ Jerry Jeudy.
But if the Rams want to go all-in on the biggest move possible, like they did repeatedly all offseason, Pickens is as close as they can get to adding a truly transformative player.
Pickens is on pace for what would be his third 1,000-yard season in his five-year career. He currently has 533 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 39 receptions this year. He’s been good for the Cowboys, whose offense (seventh in the NFL in scoring) is hardly the biggest reason behind their 3-5 record.
Their division, the NFC East, has also been a massive disappointment this year and is still wide open halfway through the season. Dallas certainly doesn’t have to move him.
Still, speculation is increasing from a variety of outlets that Pickens could be trade bait ahead of next week’s deadline. Every team in the league that needs offensive help should be checking on his availability. ESPN’s Ben Solak believes that Dallas can’t afford Pickens next year and that a loss in Week 9 will force their hands:
“I understand all of the reporting out of Dallas. The Cowboys don’t intend to move anyone, and they’re still competing for the NFC East in 2026. It would be out of character for Jones to move Pickens at this stage. But some things are so painfully obvious that I have to ignore the public PR and read between the lines. If Pickens and Dallas have no long-term future, why wait for the compensatory draft pick in 2028? Why go through all the necessary rigamarole to preserve that comp pick when they can get a guaranteed third-round pick in a trade now — and likely more! The Chiefs would do it.
I’m calling my shot here: The Cowboys lose to the Colts in Week 9, and at 3-6, Pickens is frustrated enough that the Cowboys make a trade before next Tuesday.“
The Rams can’t afford to fall behind in the NFC arms race. Three other Super Bowl contenders in the conference have added All-Pro caliber talent in the last couple of weeks, including the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West, plus the Chicago Bears with their Jeffrey Simmons addition as well. The Rams, and other should-be contenders in the conference, for that matter, are only going to make their title quest more difficult if they wait this out.
Compensation and salary cap fit are important considerations, per usual. They’re likely directly tied together in this hypothetical, too. Pickens is playing on the franchise tag, so he’s a free agent after the season ends. An acquiring team likely isn’t signing him to a long-term deal right away, which will lower the cost.
In order to make his cap hit fit into the Rams’ available space, they could also offer a better draft pick next year to entice the Cowboys to retain more of his salary, though that likely means L.A. would go into the spring with no picks on either Day 1 or Day 2 of the draft.
This is a bold hypothetical, there’s no doubt about that. If it’s even remotely realistic, it will obviously also come with a hefty price.
If the Rams are going to trade for any wide receiver though, I’d rather the player be worth the risk of a high draft pick than so safe that he doesn’t move the needle at all.
