Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones opens up about trade strategy as George Pickens, others near contract decisions

Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones opens up about trade strategy as George Pickens, others near contract decisions - via Getty/CMS

The Dallas Cowboys are entering the 2026 offseason with major questions about their roster, and Stephen Jones is not ruling out a massive draft move.

Speaking to reporters at Scouting Combine week on Monday, the CEO said about trading at least one of his franchise’s two first-round picks for another player:

”It’s tough to predict. We’re certainly open-minded to it. Always open-minded to trading. The right guy fits, the perfect fit, and we would certainly look at it and see if it worked in with what we’re trying to get accomplished.”

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Besides the draft, the Cowboys also face free-agency decisions from various players. That cast is headlined by wide receiver George Pickens, who set career highs in every relevant stat after arriving in Arlington via trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

And Jones wants to franchise-tag him:

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

The Combine will begin on Thursday and run until Sunday.


ALSO READ: George Pickens predicted to hold out on Cowboys over Jerry Jones-led front office’s decision on WR’s contract: Report

ALSO READ: “Haven’t been on a point where we can all agree”: Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones doubles down on All-Pro star’s future amid free agency


Skip Bayless warns Cowboys not to franchise-tag George Pickens

Speaking of George Pickens being franchise-tagged, the Cowboys received this warning against doing so from Skip Bayless on Monday’s episode of “The Arena: Gridiron”:

“You can’t trust him to be a winning football player, to be a leader. He makes some winning plays, but then you look at the end of the day, and you say, ‘We’re 7-9-1.’ I don’t think the rest of the team loved it that he was constantly missing or late to meetings, because that’s just who he is.”

He continued:

“If he were a solid citizen, I’d be saying, ‘No, you’ve got to go with him,’ because you could make the case he’s even better than CeeDee Lamb. But CeeDee is a leader and a solid citizen and a baller and a playmaker, and I got that guy.”

The new league year commences on March 11.

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