Cowboys eyed Ravens star before George Pickens trade: insider

Patrick McAvoy

Cowboys eyed Ravens star before George Pickens trade: insider image

The Dallas Cowboys swung one of the more surprising trades of the offseason this past week.

Dallas has been looking for a way to bolster the receiver room. The Cowboys ended up finding an answer by acquiring George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers. A duo of Pickens and CeeDee Lamb should be one of the top receiver duos in the league next year.

It sounds like Pickens isn't the only guy the Cowboys had eyes on, though. FOX Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported on Friday that the Cowboys also showed interest in Baltimore Ravens receiver Rashod Bateman.

"Sources: During their pursuit of a receiver, the Cowboys also looked into a trade for Ravens WR Rashod Bateman," Schultz said. "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 months-long process."

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Bateman would've been a solid pickup as well, but Pickens is certainly considered a better overall player. Bateman had a career-high 756 receiving yards in 2024 across 45 catches in 17 games played. Last year, Pickens had 900 receiving yards in 14 games played for Pittsburgh. In 2023, he had 1,140 receiving yards in 17 games.

Things certainly seem to have worked out for Dallas.

More NFL: Cowboys-Lions blockbuster trade proposal sends Detroit's $22 million defender to Dallas

Patrick McAvoy

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sportswriting across baseball, football and basketball. He has provided coverage for the Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Philadelphia Eagles and Boston Celtics throughout his career. 

Outside of journalism, Patrick also has received a Masters of Business Administration Degree from Brandeis University and studied communication and business at Merrimack College where he earned his Bachelor's Degree.