“Looks good on paper" - Stephen A. Smith mocks Cowboys' hype over George Pickens trade

George Pickens is Arlington-bound. On Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers were reported to have traded the mercurial wide receiver (along with a 2027 sixth-round pick) to the Dallas Cowboys after a protracted rumor mill.

Stephen A. Smith is a "fan" of the trade, claiming on that day's episode of ESPN's "First Take" that it will stroke the pride of Cowboys fans everywhere before the inevitable downfall:

"I'm sure it looks good on paper as it always does... They're gonna make headlines.

"And you're gonna see Dallas Cowboys fans everywhere (saying), 'Pickens, with CeeDee Lamb, and Dak (Prescott) is back healthy. You know we're going to the Super Bowl next year.' They're going to go back to teasing us into believing that they're relevant."

The move was arguably foreshadowed about two months ago, when the Steelers traded for two-time Pro Bowler DK Metcalf, who then signed a five-year, $150 million contract extension.

---

What George Pickens trade means for Steelers, Cowboys

Parting ways with a volatile talent like George Pickens is a significant undertaking for Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan, given the Steelers' current lack of depth at wide receiver.

After DK Metcalf and Pickens, the next-best player at the position is slot receiver/punt returner Calvin Austin III, who had 36 catches for 548 yards and four touchdowns in 2024.

But for Terrelle Pryor, the team's ESPN correspondent, this means some good news in the organization's pursuit of Aaron Rodgers:

"Rodgers is notorious in holding his receivers to high standards, especially in their route running, and Pickens has a history of not running the correct routes or finishing his routes. That could've put the quarterback at odds with one of his top offensive weapons."

One obvious target to replace Pickens is the multiple-time MVP's former teammate Allen Lazard, according to NBC's Mike Florio:

"Why Lazard? Because Rodgers completely and totally trusts him. And Lazard, for whatever reason, performs much better with Rodgers than he does without him."

As for the Cowboys, Seth Walder likes the addition of Pickens as a complement to CeeDee Lamb, making their offense a little less lopsided than it was in 2024:

"Pickens is an excellent fit with Lamb, too. He's an outside vertical receiver who will allow Lamb to maintain his heavy dosage of slot alignments in the Cowboys' offense."

In exchange for losing Pickens, the Steelers will receive two draft picks: a third-rounder in 2026 and a fifth-rounder in 2027.