(Editor's Note: Time to check the mail! The DallasCowboys.com staff writers answer your questions here in 'Mailbag' presented by Miller Lite.)
On their own, I think most would agree that Dak Prescott is a better quarterback than Sam Darnold, and CeeDee Lamb is a better wide receiver than Jaxon Smith Njigba. Without a great WR2, Seattle's combo was successful enough to have one of the best offenses in the NFL and reach the NFC Championship Game. Don't you think the Cowboys could be in the same situation without spending big on George Pickens and use that money instead to improve the defense? – Garet Tanaka/Wailuku, HI
Nick: That's a legitimate and fair question to ask. Not all teams are structured the same and success can come in a variety of ways. We all know that. So to answer the question, yes the Cowboys can be good enough on offense without re-signing Pickens.
On the flip side, let's not dismiss what we saw on offense. Only twice in Cowboys history have we seen a 4,000-yard passer, two 1,000-yard receivers and a 1,000-yard rusher. Oh, and let's not forget the tight end caught 82 passes. That was a really awesome offense and Pickens was a huge part of that. Personally, I'd like to see it again because with a little more consistency on the O-line, this offense can be even better in 2026.
Just answer this question. What's easier to do - replace Pickens' production from last year, or get a little better on defense? I think with a new coordinator and new staff on the way, plus some additions in free agency and the draft, the defense has to be better, hopefully considerably better. Now you can get more in free agency without re-signing or tagging Pickens, but now you've got to help the offense again, too. I'd rather run it back on offense and see what this defense can do to help.
Patrik: They've done it before, so they can absolutely do it again, if they need to. That said, I don't understand why there's so much concern outside of the building about "paying big money" to George Pickens. The salary cap is finite, but it's not rigid, and the Eagles prove that every year, the Rams having proving it recently before them and let's not talk about Drew Brees' Saints in yesteryear. I could show you five triggers to pull, only five, that free up tens of millions of dollars without breaking a sweat, so I'm not interested in worrying about a pie that even the owner (the usual seller of said pie talking point) has recently dismissed as laughable when it comes to Pickens. So, sure, can Lamb and Prescott carry the Cowboys' offense? Yes, but what happens in the event Lamb is injured? And why make it easier on defenses to scheme against him when healthy? Pay Pickens, pull the cap triggers, and get to fixing the defense. Generally speaking, the plan couldn't be any easier, because paying Pickens does not stop the defense from being fixed. Believing otherwise is to not understand how the cap actually works.
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