The Washington Commanders have cash to spend this offseason, and fans are dreaming big. However, one of the more delusional names being brought up as a potential option is unsurprisingly not going to hit the market.
Washington will be prioritizing defense this offseason. However, general manager Adam Peters must also continue to put the necessary pieces around quarterback Jayden Daniels, especially with new coordinator David Blough taking over the offense.
Some fans were dreaming of potentially getting one over on the Dallas Cowboys by luring George Pickens to the franchise. The wide receiver put together a phenomenal campaign. And even though there were a few times when he looked disinterested, the decision to acquire him via trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers paid off handsomely.
Commanders won't get the chance to land George Pickens, which was always a non-starter
Jerry Jones plans to keep it that way. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Cowboys are planning to place the franchise tag on Pickens to prevent him from speaking with other teams. This will also serve as a placeholder, giving the club more time to work out a longer-term commitment.
"The Dallas Cowboys are expected to place their franchise tag on Pro Bowl wide receiver George Pickens, league sources told ESPN. The projected cost of the one-year, fully guaranteed franchise tag for Pickens will be roughly $28 million. But the Cowboys want to lock in Pickens for at least next season and, as owner Jerry Jones told the team's website, for "a long time." The Cowboys will be able to apply the franchise tag to Pickens anytime between Feb. 17 and March 3, but the tag undoubtedly is coming."Adam Schefter, ESPN
Nobody should be particularly shocked by this news. The Commanders — or anyone else around the league, for that matter — had no chance of landing Pickens. Dallas has made some rash decisions under Jones in recent years, but he wasn't going to let this caliber of playmaker get away.
Peters probably knew that, too. There's a good chance Pickens wasn't on their radar, especially considering he could end up getting around $30 million per season on his next deal. The Commanders will have other, more realistic, targets in mind. Striking with conviction is crucial when the legal tampering period commences.
What's much more real for the Commanders is the threat Pickens poses against them twice a season. His partnership with CeeDee Lamb is prolific, and quarterback Dak Prescott remains an exceptional distributor under center. That's a big problem for Washington, so the onus will be on new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones to find the right solutions.
Time will tell, but Pickens's potentially joining the Commanders was always a non-starter.