It’s no secret that the Las Vegas Raiders are looking to upgrade their wide receiver room. They’ve done extensive work on the wide receivers in this year’s draft class.
However, many rookie wide receivers take a year or two to develop into impact players, especially if they’re second-round picks. If the Raiders want to set up rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza for success, it could make sense to target a proven veteran.
George Pickens is coming off a fantastic year with the Dallas Cowboys, but the team had to franchise tag him after failing to agree on an extension. If the two sides can’t agree on a long-term contract, the star wide receiver could get traded.
Thomas Carelli of Sports Illustrated pitched a trade that has the Raiders send a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to Dallas for Pickens.
“It is time for the Raiders to become relevant again,” Carelli wrote. “They cannot draft Mendoza and keep his weapons and Bowers, and then Tyler Lockett. They must add a true WR1, and Pickens can become it. The team will have to trade-and-sign Pickens to a massive deal trade and sign, but why not? You are a young, new team with money to spend. Pickens is a premier NFL wide receiver, and he will sell your team a lot of merchandise. Mark Davis knows a thing or two about marketing…
“Kubiak will aim to make Pickens his new Jaxon-Smith Njigba. It is a different-styled player, but another one with a different-styled high-volume upside.”
This Would Be a Steep Price for Pickens
What Carelli’s is pitching is a massive price just for the rights to pay Pickens. This is more than the team gave up to get Davante Adams a few years ago. Plus, Pickens has a history of being somewhat difficult to work with.
Considering the Raiders’ track record with difficult wide receivers, they’d have to think long and hard before giving up that kind of draft capital for Pickens.
Cowboys Would Likely Be Happy to Make Deal
The Cowboys gave up just a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick to get Pickens a year ago. Getting a first-round pick and a second-round pick for him would be a fantastic return on their investment.
Carelli explained why the Cowboys would likely be happy to make this deal with the Raiders.
“Jerry Jones never wants to pay his players,” Carelli wrote. “It is a fact that has been an issue for a while. This issue remains with Pickens. He has been franchise-tagged, which provides a nice payday yet, but he is below long-term expectations. Pickens can become one of the top-5, highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL, and he waits until that happens. Until then, Pickens holds out.
“The Cowboys are willing to trade Pickens, and while no team has apparently come calling, they will. The value may dip enough to pique interest, especially post-NFL draft. The Cowboys will lose a great weapon, but they will also return a haul of 1st- and 2nd-round picks, plus save money.”
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