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George Pickens is not with the Dallas Cowboys during the opening week of voluntary offseason workouts, while coach Brian Schottenheimer says the receiver is “taking care of his business” and their communication has been good.
Pickens signed his franchise tag of $27.3 million a little more than a month ago, but has stayed away from the team. The Pro Bowler is not required to appear before mandatory minicamp 16-18. June.
“Communicated with (Pickens) yesterday,” Schottenheimer said Thursday. “He has a football camp on the weekend that he does. So the communication is good and as you know it’s voluntary and he takes care of his business.”
Pickens waited two months before signing the one-year contract worth three times what the 25-year-old earned on his four-year rookie contract.
Pickens told the Cowboys before the draft in April that he intended to sign the franchise tag, prompting speculation that Dallas could try to trade him. The Cowboys made it clear they had no such plans. He signed the label about a week later.
Acquired last year in a trade with Pittsburgh, Pickens thrived alongside CeeDee Lamb and finished with career highs in catches (93), yards (1,429) and touchdowns (nine) for one of the best offenses in the NFL last season.
Lamb enters the second year of a $136 million, four-year contract that ranks him fourth among NFL receivers with an average annual value of $34 million.
Owner and general manager Jerry Jones has said the club has long-term plans for Pickens, who has spent time in the offseason with quarterback Dak Prescott.
“I’m not sure exactly what they’re doing,” Schottenheimer said. “You know Dak does a great job with all the guys, whether they’re here, whether it’s this time of year, whether it’s in the summer, they always go somewhere. They go somewhere in the summer and practice and throw, and it’s a chance for them to develop their timing.”
Report from the Associated Press.
