Mike Tomlin's inability to get the most out of wide receiver George Pickens ultimately led the Steelers to offload him to the Cowboys. Pickens' stellar campaign in Dallas could be enough to bring him to one of Pittsburgh's biggest rivals, the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens are one NFL team that desperately needs to add a No. 1 wide receiver this offseason. The franchise cannot afford to waste another year of Lamar Jackson's prime. Giving him more offensive weaponry is high on GM Eric DeCosta's to-do list. The Cowboys would love to keep Pickens in the fold, but his contract demands could conceivably force Dallas to examine trade options for the dynamic pass-catcher. Baltimore should be at the front of the line if Jerry Jones indicates he's willing to trade Pickens.
Would the Cowboys trade George Pickens?
Dallas does not want to lose Pickens, but fans need only look at what happend with Micah Parsons to understand how a trade could manifest itself this offseason. If contract talks don't go according to plan the relationship between the Cowboys and their star wideout could sour quickly.
The team's ability to retain Pickens via a franchise tag does complicate things. The Cowboys hold most of the leverage in this situation. Pickens might need to really go on the media offensive to force his way out of town. Then again, that hardly seems to be out of character for Pickens and his representation.
It's unlikely that the Cowboys will trade Pickens this offseason but it's far from impossible. Baltimore arguably represents the ideal landing fit for him if he does move in the coming weeks.
What would the Ravens trade for George Pickens?
The Cowboys also have a talented quarterback in their prime. They will want to recoup immediate assets in any deal involving Pickens. That could take the form of 2026 NFL Draft compensation or young players on Baltimore's roster that can help Dallas compete for a Super Bowl next season.
The idea of the Cowboys landing a young defensive back like Nate Wiggins or Malaki Starks might hold appeal to fans, but the salary cap machinations of such a deal are too complicated. That makes the most likely trade to just involve Pickens going to Baltimore and premium draft compensation heading to the Cowboys.
The Ravens will need to part with multiple premium picks if they want to outbid the competition for Pickens. The Cowboys would demand the No. 14 overall pick in this year's draft to be included. Baltimore might not like to part with that selection but it would be necessary in this sort of trade.
The more interesting question is what else Baltimore might need to part with to clinch the deal. They might prefer to push some of the compensation to future drafts, but the Cowboys should hold firm in getting immediate impact picks in exchange for Pickens.
Giving up their top two picks in this year's draft would really sting a Ravens franchise that prides itself on developing their own draft picks. It's time for Baltimore to go all in though. If they do, Steelers fans need to be prepared to see Pickens ply his trade for their bitter rivals.