The latest news surrounding the Dallas Cowboys
Cowboys’ Dak Prescott says he’s ‘full go’ for training camp – Todd Archer, ESPN
Dak Prescott has been clicking with wide receiver George Pickens this offseason.
A few weeks ago, Prescott held his annual getaway with his skill players, returning to Lake Oconee in Georgia for a few days of on-field work and off-field sessions with O2X, a performance group made up of former military personnel that helps deal with stress management and resiliency.
“It was as beneficial as any trip has been,” Prescott said.
Perhaps the reason was the ability to spend more time with George Pickens, who was acquired in a trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers in May, as well as CeeDee Lamb, who was not around the team last year in a contract dispute.
“To be the guy that gets to get them the ball, it’s exciting as hell because you can turn on the OTA tapes and one of the guys, the ball is in the air [for] and [the] other one has got his had up celebrating already,” Prescott said. “We’ve just got to continue to grow that and continue to make sure that that’s trending the right way.”
The retreat helped Prescott and Pickens get to know each other off the field more. Prescott was impressed at how much Pickens knew from his days at Mississippi State.
“That knowledge, that involvement, it shows you a guy that loves football and that, to me, deletes a lot of the things you heard in the past about him,” Prescott said. “Great dude, loves his teammates and excited as hell for this season. I know he is and I know he’s happy to be in a fresh new spot and excited for what he’s going to do for us.”
Who has the most to prove in his contract year – Staff writers, DallasCowboys.com
Contact years are always interesting.
9) Who has the most to prove in his contract year?
Mickey: Will give you three, almost a dead heat. First, wide receiver George Pickens. While Pickens is in the final year of his four-year contract having signed with Pittsburgh as a second-round draft choice, the dynamic receiver must show he can be a co-No. 1 receiver along with CeeDee Lamb and maybe most of all that he has matured, putting those emotional outbursts the Steelers detested behind him. This guy has the ability to become one of the top free agent receivers next year, meaning big money never really achieved as a second-round pick. Second, defensive end Sam Williams. The Cowboys were expecting big things from Sam last summer before suffering that torn ACL during training camp, missing the entire season. Here is another second-round draft choice with first-round ability who will have a chance to show he’s one of the top defensive ends in the NFL. Seems he is successfully rehabbing following knee surgery and will get every chance to demonstrate his ability. Now must take advantage of this opportunity to further market himself in free agency for 2026. And lastly cornerback Kaiir Elam, Buffalo’s former first round draft choice the Cowboys acquired in a trade. Another guy with a great opportunity to reset his career course the final year of his deal. Even when Revel and Diggs return, the Cowboys still will need another corner.
Kyle: Without a doubt for me, it’s George Pickens. No one could see more benefit or more loss by how their 2025 season goes than the Cowboys’ newest weapon. He has quickly become one of the most feared receivers in football after just three years in the NFL but had a sour ending in Pittsburgh which resulted in his trade to Dallas. Because of this, his season could set a league-wide perception in one of two ways.
The ideal scenario would see Pickens piecing together an incredible season and pairing with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb to create an offensive core for Dallas. This would prove that the rumors in Pittsburgh were nothing more than situational frustration and doesn’t define who Pickens is as a player. If he’s able to do so, he’ll prove doubters across the league wrong and take his spot in line to sign a massive second contract anywhere he wants next season.
Ranking NFL WR, TE, RB groups for 2025: Best and worst teams – Bill Barnwell, ESPN
A ranking of the rushing/receiving playmakers (RB, WR, TE) for each team.
11. Dallas Cowboys
Last season was a step backward for CeeDee Lamb, but it seems reasonable to chalk up some of his decline to Dak Prescott’s injuries. Even in what felt like a down year before a shoulder injury led the Cowboys to wave the white flag, he ranked 17th among wide receivers in yards per route run. Working so often out of the slot, he benefits from having a quarterback with elite accuracy and a willingness to put the ball into tight spaces like Prescott; he might be a little more susceptible to a change under center than Justin Jefferson or Ja’Marr Chase would, which represents a very tiny tier gap at the top of the wide receiver food chain.
Lamb will finally get some help on the outside, where George Pickens should — on what can only be described as the most paper-ish substance imaginable — be an upgrade on the likes of Michael Gallup and Brandin Cooks. Thrown a steady stream of back-shoulders and 50/50 balls in Pittsburgh, Pickens had the second-lowest expected catch rate (53.3%) and the sixth-highest catch rate over expectation (plus-6.1%) among wideouts with at least 200 targets over the past three seasons. Moving from Pittsburgh to Dallas should boost Pickens’ efficiency, but he won’t have a clear path to as massive of a target share. Given what has happened to many Steelers receivers when they’ve left the protection of the Mike Tomlin behavioral cocoon, it’s only realistic to wonder whether he will melt down in spectacular fashion. There’s also Pro Bowl-caliber upside here, however.
Tight end Jake Ferguson didn’t build on his Pro Bowl campaign in Year 3, failing to score a touchdown in 14 games. He should see the end zone more often in 2025. I’m still not entirely sure why Dallas downgraded from Rico Dowdle to Javonte Williams by choice, but this is arguably the league’s worst backfield on paper. While these rankings index more heavily on wide receiver, the Cowboys seem entirely disinterested in even taking fun fliers at running back.
2025 opponent breakdown | Dallas Cowboys – Zach Selby, Commanders.com
Here is how the Washington Commanders might view the questions around the Cowboys heading into the season.
Key questions
Can the offensive line return to its former glory? There was a time when the Cowboys’ offensive line was considered the best in the NFL with Zack Martin at guard and Tyron Smith at left tackle. It is still a good group, but Smith left in 2024 and Martin retired. The Cowboys are hoping the draft picks they have made in recent years — tackle Tyler Guyton, center Cooper Beebe and guard Tyler Booker — will provide stability for the foreseeable future. There’s reason to believe in all three players; Beebe is a physical blocker who knows how to move in the interior; Guyton is raw but has traits that the Cowboys can develop; and Booker was one of the best offensive line prospects in the draft with good technique. There is confidence that the group will be good at some point, but the Cowboys might need to streamline that process.
Will Prescott have another strong season in 2025? It seems like Prescott puts up top five numbers about every other year. The trend started in 2019, when he passed for 4,902 yards and 30 touchdowns. He only played five games in 2020 with an injury and went 2-3 in those starts. The next year, he hit a career-high in passing touchdowns and passed for 4,449 yards. That was followed by another disappointing performance in 2022, when he led the league in interceptions in 12 starts. The 2023 season was arguably his best, as he led the league in completions and passing touchdowns. And of course, there was last season, when he battled injuries and passed for just 1,978 yards. If we follow the trend, that means the 2025 season should be a good one for Prescott. He still has Lamb as his No. 1 receiver and a quality defense to get him the ball back. This isn’t a revolutionary take, but the Cowboys’ success hinges on Prescott. When he’s in form, the Cowboys can be a dangerous team and even a Super Bowl competitor. When he’s not, they’re a team that is simply fighting for a lower seed in the playoffs.
