"In trading a third round pick (2026) and a fifth round pick (2027) to the Pittsburgh Steelers to land wide receiver George Pickens, Dallas addressed a serious need at WR2. This followed signing free agent running back Javonte Williams to address an opening at RB1 on the roster. Both moves have paid off in 2025. Williams was projected to have 690 yards and seven touchdowns on 150 carries this season."
"But both Pickens and Williams will be free agents in March. And that's where the Cowboys' woes begin. Can Dallas Have It All? Is there a path forward where Dallas can retain both Pickens and Williams and still address the numerous holes on defense in 2026? As things stand now, the Cowboys will have roughly $33 million in cap space in 2026."
"If they try and tag either Pickens and Williams and sign the other, a large portion of that cap space is gone. Especially as a franchise tag on Pickens would set the team back $28 million alone in 2026. One option would be to restructure Dak Prescott's $74 million cap hit in 2026 to free up the money to retain Williams and Pickens."
The Cowboys acquired George Pickens via trade and signed Javonte Williams in free agency, and both players have produced strong 2025 performances. Williams was projected for 690 yards and seven touchdowns on 150 carries but has 633 yards and eight touchdowns on 124 carries at midseason. Pickens has 43 catches for 685 yards and six scores and performed as WR1 during CeeDee Lamb's three-game absence. Both players reach free agency in March 2026 while the team projects roughly $33 million in cap space. Tagging or re-signing both would heavily strain cap room, prompting potential restructuring of Dak Prescott's 2026 cap hit and roster changes on defense.
Read at Inside The Star
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