The Brandon Aubrey deal is finally finished, and that puts my focus exactly where it belongs now. George Pickens.
If the Cowboys want more breathing room before the draft class hits the books, this is the next logical move. I don’t think this should be too complicated because Dallas already made the decision to franchise tag him.
Now they need to finish the job.
George Pickens Already Carries a Big Number
George Pickens is currently playing on the franchise tag at $27.298 million for 2026. That’s the number I keep coming back to because Dallas doesn’t have to worry about him getting expensive. He’s already there.
That number is on the cap, and it’s a heavy number for a one-year with no long-term structure helping the Cowboys out.
We all know the tag is a temporary move, not the final answer.
The Cowboys Don’t Have as Much Room as it Looks
As we sit right now, the Cowboys have about $15.046 million in Top-51 cap space and, on paper, that looks “OK.”
Once the rookie class is factored in, based on the current Cowboys picks, that cap room starts shrinking fast. I want everyone to know the number that is most important is the Top-51 adjusted rookie cap charge, which is about $9.146 million.
This means Dallas is really sitting closer to about $5.86 million in workable room after accounting for the rookie class.
So, this isn’t just about paying George Pickens, this is about making sure the front office has room to operate.
A George Pickens Deal Could Open Real Cap Space
This is why I think his extension gets done sooner rather than later.
George Pickens’ market value is at about a 4-year, $122.4 million deal. That would come out to roughly $30.6 million per year. At first glance, that sounds massive, but the average yearly value is not the same thing as the first-year cap hit.
If Dallas can get his 2026 cap hit down into the $10 to$15 million range, their cap space could jump from $15 million to about $27 to $32 million before any more moves.
I would be all for the Cowboys having room not only for the draft class, but for some corresponding moves once the draft is over.
I Think the Cowboys Should Get this Done Now
If Dallas was unsure about George Pickens, they wouldn’t have tagged him in the first place.
That’s why I don’t see the point in dragging this out. I mean the team has already said how much Pickens means to this team, now it needs to act like it and turn that big one-year cap hit into a contract that helps the roster.
Aubrey is signed, and the draft class is coming. The cap space is needed to get all the rookies into camp.
This is simple; sign George Pickens long term or trade him. The balls in your court Cowboys front office.
Was this helpful?
Comments