On Wednesday, the Steelers sent receiver George Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Cowboys in exchange for a 2026 third-rounder, and a fifth-round pick in 2027.
I'm sure there are lots of Patriots fans who have the same question: Should the Patriots have done that deal for Pickens?
My answer: Hell no. No way. No how.
Maybe if Mike Vrabel's Patriots had a few years under their belt, established a strong culture, and were one receiver away from a possible Super Bowl title.
But even then, at least personally, I would not acquire a player like Pickens.
Why? Because he's an epic turd who only cares about himself and not the team. On several occasions, he has given questionable effort and borderline quit on his teams. And you know it's really bad because normally you don't know how troubled a Steelers cast off is until they land someplace else (see: Brown, Antonio).
I would never entertain a player who has shown quit on film. And it's a reasonable guess Vrabel feels the same way as well. If free-agent tackle Jedrick Wills didn't quit on the Browns last season when Vrabel was a consultant, the Patriots probably would have signed him .2 seconds.
I mean, just look at stuff associated with Pickens, mostly from our friend Dejan Kovacevic in Pittsburgh:
• "This can't be overstated, and it's nothing I haven't been reporting for a couple years now: Pickens was a problem. And a half. He was a problem on the field, failing to give full effort on probably half of all offensive snaps, and he was a problem off the field in that his coaches and teammates would then be forced to attempt to police him. Which, as they'd eagerly attest, was a waste of everyone's time and energy, since it'd seldom do any good."
• "When the head coach has to assign one of his assistants -- or another player at times -- to babysit someone nonstop on the sideline, to keep him from acting up, to keep him from fussing with fans ... sorry, but that's just clown-shoes territory. That can't even be compared to Antonio Brown, who, for all his gradually accumulating personal issues, never allowed himself to be out-focused or out-worked in any football setting."
• "One thing I never heard from anyone was that the Steelers intended to sign Pickens to a second contract. And it's not as if he wouldn't have deduced that himself. As such, there was a very real possibility of a hold-in at training camp, or beyond if it'd morph into an outright holdout. Nobody'd be giving up a third-rounder in that context."
• Look at this list of his issues, which include multiple fines and complaining about his usage — and he's only been in the league for three years! And holy cow, Pickens needed a babysitter on the sidelines to keep him somewhat in line, something AB never needed?! Yikes.
No doubt that Pickens, who was entering a contract year after being the 52nd overall pick in 2022, is very talented and productive.
But when Mike Tomlin and the Steelers don't want anything to do with you, and don't want to give you your first big contract, you have a lot of issues.
I will say, the Cowboys basically covered themselves in one respect. Even if things completely implode with Pickens, he doesn't reach a contract extension and signs elsewhere for 2026, Dallas should have the ability to recoup a third-round comp pick in 2027, provided the Cowboys don't sign offsetting free agents (they don't sign many).
But I think this was a really smart move by the Steelers and they got (marginally) better compensation than they would have received should they have played this season out and let Pickens go in free agency. At best, it would have been a 3rd/4th sandwich comp pick in 2027. Now the Steelers have a legit third round pick, plus a future sixth for a player they obviously couldn't wait to part with.
And the Patriots should have wanted none of that either.
At least not right now, and probably not ever.