Cowboys say they are leaning toward using franchise tag on receiver George Pickens

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys are leaning toward using the franchise tag on receiver George Pickens while continuing to discuss a long-term contract, vice president of personnel Stephen Jones said Monday.

Jones spoke to reporters at the NFL scouting combine, declining to put a timeline on getting a deal done with Pickens.

The Cowboys have until March 3 to use the tag, after which there is a July 15 deadline for agreeing on a longer-term contract. The one-year offer on the tag could approach $30 million.

“We want Pickens here,” Jones said. “We think the world of him. Love him, and I think he wants to be here. So all that's a plus.”

Pickens, who turns 25 next month, had a breakout year in Dallas following an offseason trade with Pittsburgh. He had career highs with 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns for one of the league's best offenses in the final year of his rookie deal.

The Steelers drafted Pickens in the second round out of Georgia in 2022, and his three years there were marked by enough instances of questionable behavior for coach Mike Tomlin to question his maturity.

Pickens thrived with quarterback Dak Prescott and fellow receiver CeeDee Lamb, although Lamb and Pickens were benched for the first series at Las Vegas when they visited a casino and missed curfew.

When asked about the franchise tag during the season, Pickens wouldn't say whether he would sign it quickly or let contract negotiations play out.

Lamb had some contract drama with the Cowboys four years into his career, when he was entering the fifth year of his rookie deal. Teams have a fifth-year option with all first-round picks.

Lamb stayed away from the team the entire 2024 offseason and training camp before the 2023 All-Pro reached a deal on an extension not long before the start of the season.

This past weekend, the Cowboys reached a $24 million, three-year agreement to re-sign free agent running Javonte Williams.

Like Pickens, Williams rejuvenated his career in the 25-year-old's first season with Dallas. His 1,201 yards rushing were the most for a Dallas back since two-time rushing champion Ezekiel Elliott had 1,357 in 2019.

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