Football <\/p>\n
Micah Parsons continues to focus on football while his agent handles contract negotiations with the Dallas Cowboys<\/a><\/p>\n Speaking at his jersey retirement ceremony at Harrisburg High School on Tuesday in Harrisburg, Penn., Parsons didn\u2019t show any nerves about the contract not being done. Instead, he\u2019s leaving it out of his control. <\/p>\n \u201cTo me, I know God got my back,\u201d Parsons said to a group of reporters. \u201cHe took me this far. He\u2019s not ready to be done with me, and I see the will He keeps putting inside of me. I\u2019m not phased by anything. I\u2019m just going to keep doing things the right way. Things are going to play out the way they\u2019re meant to play out. For me, I just try to do it the right way.\u201d <\/p>\n Parsons was in attendance for most of OTAs and the entirety of the team\u2019s mandatory minicamp, although his participation varied by day. Still, his mere presence was enough to praise after consecutive offseasons for the Cowboys that have seen veterans hold out. <\/p>\n \u201cI just work harder,\u201d he said. \u201cTo me, I look at it like if people don\u2019t see your value, you don\u2019t cry and lay up. You just work harder. You got to show people your value. I just think that\u2019s the difference.\u201d <\/p>\n The edge rusher market appears to be at a standstill as Cincinnati Bengals<\/a> defensive end Trey Hendrickson and Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a> defensive end T.J. Watt each await a new contract. Detroit Lions<\/a> defensive end Aidan Hutchinson could also make a case to be in that mix. <\/p>\n But for Parsons, he isn\u2019t keeping an eye on the market or anybody else\u2019s move before being ready to sign the deal.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n What is the bare minimum for it to be considered a successful season for George Pickens? <\/p>\n Tommy:<\/strong> I said a few weeks ago that I think Pickens gets his first Pro Bowl<\/a> this year, so that\u2019s how well I think he\u2019s going to do in the Cowboys offense. I think the expectation is that he and CeeDee Lamb mesh well enough together to propel Dallas\u2019 passing game to the next level, and with Pickens specifically, give them a better threat in the vertical game. Does that mean the expectation needs to be 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns? Not at all, Pickens\u2019 addition will be a success if he lightens the offensive load on CeeDee Lamb and makes plays when he needs to all over the field for the Cowboys. I think he does so well enough to get to the Pro Bowl.<\/p>\n Mickey:<\/strong> My expectations are really high, to the point wanting him to be like a co-No. 1 receiver with CeeDee Lamb. And why not. He\u2019s already been considered a No. 1 receiver with the Steelers, and no sense ever diminishing his role now with the Cowboys. Pickens will be highly motivated entering the final year of his rookie contract, knowing he can make big bucks next year with either the Cowboys or in free agency if he is productive in 2025. And after watching him during the offseason practices, he sure looks dynamic, and you can feel his deep speed. This will be one of the best one-two receiver punches for the Cowboys in years.<\/p>\n Kyle:<\/strong> This is a prove-it year for Pickens. With a new organization, a new offense, and an expiring rookie contract all serve as a motivation for the fourth-year receiver. He\u2019ll enter the year as the clear second pass catching option behind CeeDee Lamb on paper with the upside to become a number one option in certain situations.<\/p>\n When the Cowboys were surveying the wide receiver market this offseason, one of the questions they asked was \u2018could this receiver post a 150-yard game if Lamb is either shut down or out?\u2019 In the case of Pickens, the answer was yes. That\u2019s going to be the expectation.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Trading for Amari Cooper was out of desperation. Trading for George Pickens, coming into a year with low expectations, was bold.<\/p>\n How well Pickens performs will go a long way on whether this ends up being a good trade for the Cowboys; however, there\u2019s another part of this as well that gets a lot of attention. He\u2019s in the final year of his rookie contract, so he will hit the open free agent market next offseason. Unless the Cowboys have something up their sleeve, this trade could end up being a one-year rental. It\u2019s a tight battle, but the majority of fans (52%) believe he\u2019ll be one-and-done in Dallas<\/strong><\/a>. If that happens, does that change your perception of the trade?<\/p>\n If you\u2019re against the trade, your general feeling is, let\u2019s wish for the best, and hopefully, he gives the team some production on the field and possibly earns them a compensatory pick in 2026. In that camp, a Pickens extension is the last thing on your mind. If you\u2019re opposed to the trade, there would be no logical reason to double down by making a larger financial commitment.<\/p>\n For those who love the trade, locking him down even longer probably sounds appealing. The idea of him and CeeDee Lamb running rampant over the next few years would quench the thirst of so many who\u2019re parched from all the Allen Hurns\/Noah Brown\/Jalen Tolbert drought they\u2019ve had to endure in the past.<\/p>\n The Cowboys could be hedging their bets. They like him enough to use a future third-round pick on him, but would like to see things play out before making any additional commitment. That seems like the smart way to go, even if it drives up the price a bit. Paying for good players isn\u2019t a bad problem to have, but guessing wrong and eating a bunch of dead money for bad investments can have a lingering effect.<\/p>\n 1. Examining the range of outcomes, here is what we could be looking at:<\/p>\n 2. Extend him now, he turns out to be great, a good-value contract<\/p>\n 3. He\u2019s great, they extend him next offseason, he\u2019s more expensive<\/p>\n 4. He\u2019s great, but he\u2019s just a one-year rental, the Cowboys get a good comp pick<\/p>\n 5. He\u2019s blah, he\u2019s just a one-year rental, the Cowboys get a weaker comp pick<\/p>\n 6. He\u2019s a bust, he\u2019s a one-year rental, no comp pick, the Cowboys wasted a third-round pick<\/p>\n 7. Extend him now, he\u2019s a bust, and the Cowboys are hit with a big dead-money hit<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Cowboys have a decision to make on DarRon Bland. .<\/p>\n On Tuesday, the New York Jets signed their own star corner, Sauce Gardner<\/a>, to a massive four-year $120.4 million deal, making him the highest-paid corner in NFL history.<\/p>\n And while Bland was never going to command that type of money, Gardner resetting the market with his new deal will certainly play a role in his negotiations with the Cowboys going forward.<\/p>\n Garner, of course, is recognized as one of the best players at his position in the league. In his first three seasons in New York, Gardner has been named a first-team All Pro twice, made two Pro Bowls, and was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the year in 2022. In that time, he made 181 tackles, six tackles for loss, 40 pass deflections and three interceptions in 48 games.<\/p>\n He also ranked 46th in the NFL at his position in overall grade last season, as well as ranking 33rd in coverage grade per Pro Football Focus.<\/p>\n Bland, meanwhile, has been elite in his own right since coming into the NFL as part of the same draft class as Gardner.<\/p>\n Since 2022, Bland has been a first-team All-Pro, has one Pro Bowl, and led the NFL in interceptions in 2023. He has 164 tackles, 27 pass breakups, and 14 interceptions with five defensive touchdowns in his career.<\/p>\n With Gardner now the highest-paid corner, where Bland fits in with the market remains to be seen. Below Gardner is Texans<\/a> corner Derek Stingley Jr. at $30 million per year, followed by Panthers corner Jaycee Horn at $25 million, new Steelers corner Jalen Ramsey and $24.1 million, and Broncos star Patrick Surtain II at $24 million.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n
Expectations for George Pickens\u2019 new role – Staff writers, DallasCowboys.com<\/a><\/h3>\n
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Regardless of what happens, the Cowboys were right to trade for George Pickens – Dan Rogers, Blogging the Boys<\/a><\/h3>\n
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Dallas Cowboys price to re-sign DaRon Bland just went up – Matt Galatzan, Cowboys on SI<\/a><\/h3>\n
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