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Todd Archer
FRISCO, Texas — Dak Prescott regarded left towards George Pickens whereas dropping again. Rapidly, Prescott shifted his eyes to the correct and fired a completion to Jalen Tolbert for a modest acquire within the second of the Dallas Cowboys‘ three organized workforce actions final week.
Instantly, Prescott walked over to Pickens for a brief dialog and a faucet on the helmet.
Not lengthy thereafter, the identical state of affairs unfolded, however this time Prescott threw the ball to Pickens in entrance of a defender. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Pickens made an adjustment on the route and pulled in a simple catch.
It was a delicate second in late Could that the Cowboys hope pays off for them in a bigger means in the course of the common season.
Pickens has been a Cowboy for lower than a month since being acquired from the Pittsburgh Steelers, however the pleasure his arrival has dropped at the group is palpable from possession to the coaches to the gamers.
The Cowboys knew they wanted extra on the broad receiver place, and the mix of Pickens and CeeDee Lamb might give them probably the greatest one-two punches within the NFL.
“Man, we complement one another very effectively,” Lamb mentioned. “Clearly, he is a tall determine. His capability to go up and get the ball on the highest level is wonderful. I do not assume anyone within the league can actually … he is up there with the fellows within the league so far as 50/50 balls, deep risk. Something so far as operating routes, it is fairly good. It is good to see.”
Pickens’ assimilation to the Cowboys has been clean. It helps that he and Lamb have a earlier relationship. They’ve labored out collectively through the years and have revered one another from afar. Lately, they attended the charity softball recreation held by Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.
Finally week’s OTA that was open to the media, they had been always linked, both engaged on the Jugs machine in the course of the particular groups’ portion of the exercise or between performs.
What can Pickens be taught from the 6-2, 200-pound Lamb?
“Simply intermediate stuff,” Pickens mentioned. “He is acquired nice toes, stepping in sure locations. He steps in place rather a lot, which implies he can get the place he is going quick and in a brief house. And he is tall. Lots of people do not know he is form of tall.”
In 2020, Lamb, a rookie, leaned on veteran Amari Cooper. Now he can do the identical for Pickens, even when there may be solely a two-year age hole.
“Once I was a rookie, I used to be nonetheless a pupil of the sport, and I used to be excited to be taught, anxious to be taught and keep in my books and asking questions, which is what [Pickens] is doing,” Lamb mentioned. “Quick ahead 5 years later, now the roles are reversed. Nonetheless grateful once more, I am unable to recognize Coop sufficient for the data that he is given me. Man, he is impacted my profession for the lengthy haul.”
When Prescott was a rookie in 2016, the Cowboys had Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley as his prime broad receiver threats. In 2018, the Cowboys traded for Cooper midseason and the quarterback’s productiveness took off. In 2019, he had two 1,000-yard receivers in Cooper and Michael Gallup.
In 2020, Lamb confirmed up. By Lamb’s second 12 months, he was a Professional Bowler. In 2023, he led the NFL in catches with 135, setting workforce information for receptions and receiving yards (1,749).
With Lamb and Pickens, defenses shall be challenged as a result of, as Prescott mentioned, they can not double-team all people.
“Wanting on the man’s tape, you see what he does, the form of receiver he’s. He will win on one-on-ones. He can win two versus one if he has to,” Prescott mentioned. “Very, very proficient man. When you may add him alongside a CeeDee and the remainder of the weapons we’ve got, I am tremendous excited.”
Pickens is within the early levels of studying the Cowboys’ offense however would not assume it is going to be troublesome to grasp. From the official offseason work that concludes June 12 with minicamp to the unofficial offseason work that follows with Prescott holding throwing periods earlier than coaching camp in July, he believes there may be sufficient time.
“Offensively, performs are form of common all throughout the league,” he mentioned.
Pickens got here to the Cowboys with some questions after his three years with the Steelers. Tardiness was a difficulty. Outbursts on the sphere and sidelines had been a difficulty.
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer likes what he has seen to date.
“I see a man that is maturing. I see a man that we’re excited to place on the market and watch him develop and get higher,” Schottenheimer mentioned. “He clearly is an amazing athlete, however I really like watching him in conferences, as a result of in conferences, he is been so dialed in, taking nice notes.
“He is aware of he is somewhat bit behind, not rather a lot however somewhat bit behind by way of what the veterans are doing. However his intentionality within the assembly room has been actually cool for me to see.”
