The Dallas Cowboys find themselves in an uncomfortable spot with George Pickens, as it's been reported that the wide receiver won't play on the franchise tag he was given and would only report to the team if he's given a long-term deal. The Cowboys could give Pickens the deal he's looking for (and would be wise to), but if they're unwilling to meet his demands, trading him could make the most sense.
Ideally, the Cowboys would receive a first-round pick for a player of Pickens' caliber, but NFL Network's Ian Rapoport revealed that the Cowboys might be willing to accept a second-round pick. If that were to happen, that would make the situation involving A.J. Brown and Dallas' biggest rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, that much more uncomfortable.
Cowboys can force Eagles into uncomfortable A.J. Brown decision
It's abundantly clear that A.J. Brown is unhappy in Philadelphia and would prefer a change of scenery. It's also abundantly clear that the Eagles will not trade Brown unless their price is met. Philadelphia is reportedly looking for a first-round pick plus additional compensation for Brown, a reasonable price for one of the best receivers in the game when he's locked in and healthy.
That price has not been met to this point, which is at least partially why it's been reported that the Eagles will not trade Brown for the time being. If the Cowboys trade Pickens only for a second-round pick, what can the Eagles expect for Brown, especially when Pickens was the far better player in 2025?
Statistic | George Pickens | A.J. Brown |
|---|---|---|
Targets | 137 | 121 |
Receptions | 93 | 78 |
Receiving Yards | 1,429 | 1,003 |
Touchdown | 9 | 7 |
Brown did miss two games, but Pickens still averaged nearly 20 more yards per game than Brown. Obviously, Brown played through the year disgruntled and in an offense that, at times, looked completely dysfunctional, but Pickens was the better player.
Even if Brown's track record is better and if you think he's worth more in a trade, Pickens coming off the better year and being three years younger might even things out, if not sway value in his favor. If Pickens can be had for a second-rounder, why give up a first-rounder plus potentially a second-rounder for Brown? The value between the two receivers is not that substantial, if one exists at all.
Eagles should trade A.J. Brown for whatever they can get
The Eagles think they have more leverage than they actually do with Brown. If a player doesn't want to be on your team, it's going to be hard to keep him and assume everything will be fine. They kept Brown through the 2025 season despite his unhappiness, and the end result was a frustrating Wild Card Round loss. Kevin Patullo might be gone, but if Brown is still unhappy in Philadelphia, who knows how this season might unravel? His value might tank even more.
I understand that the Eagles want to wait until they get what they believe is fair value for Brown, and I get that they don't want to pay the cap hit that'd come with trading him away right now, but if Pickens gets traded for a second-round pick, they will lose whatever leverage they have.
If the Cowboys settle for that Pickens offer, it forces the Eagles to make an uncomfortable decision. The decision to keep an unhappy player around is never comfortable, and the same goes for trading a star for less than you think he's worth. For any Cowboys fan who would be unhappy if Dallas did, indeed, trade Pickens for only a second-rounder, knowing that the Eagles would be forced into a worse situation with their star wideout makes it feel a bit better.
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