Cowboys were looking at more receivers than just Pickens
After the Dallas Cowboys made noise with their trade for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens in exchange for draft picks, we have also learned the team had discussions about another receiver before the Pickens’ deal was struck.
Sources: During their pursuit of a receiver, the #Cowboys also looked into a trade for #Ravens WR Rashod Bateman. Those talks didn’t go far, and Dallas ultimately struck a post-draft deal with the #Steelers for George Pickens.
Dallas’ search for another receiver was a… pic.twitter.com/87QX5rIqcq
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 9, 2025
Although the extent of the Cowboys’ offer is unknown, you can assert that the Cowboys got the better player after conversations that led to nowhere with the Baltimore Ravens. Bateman had a solid campaign in 2024, 45 catches for 756 yards and nine touchdowns, but he has never eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark as Pickens has. A trade for Bateman wouldn’t have moved the needle the same way that the acquisition of Pickens has done. Dallas acquired a player who can win contested catches, has playmaking potential, and plays with a bit of an edge, something that the Cowboys don’t have on that side of the ball.
Had Dallas made the trade for Bateman, they would have been in a more flexible spot contractually than they are with Pickens. Bateman is in the first year of a two-year, $12.8M contract with a salary of $3.75M in 2025. That is a modest deal, and even though Pickens is similar in cost at $3.6M, the extra year of financial control would have helped the Cowboys tremendously as they navigate pending contracts for integral players like Micah Parsons, DaRon Bland, and Brandon Aubrey, let alone Pickens.