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I'll start off by saying I love the trade for George Pickens, and I think he'll be a great addition on the field. He doesn't necessarily have a reputation as a great locker-room guy or leader, though, and both of those seem to be big parts of the culture that Coach Schottenheimer is trying to build. Do you see any potential issues with that? – H. Melvin/Ocean City, NJ
Mickey: You know, the Cowboys intentionally moved the Micah Parsons locker across the locker room next to Dak Prescott's. Maybe they place Pickens on the other side of Dak. Yes, I've seen where Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has said of Pickens that "he's just got to grow up, man . . . he's got to grow up in a hurry." Well, he's just 24 years of age. He must realize he's on the final year of his contract, and you'd like to think he'll be on his best behavior with free agency right around the corner or a potential Cowboys extension. Sometimes a change in environment can make a difference. Schottenheimer is establishing the trait of being a straight shooter, and maybe that will affect Pickens. As the No. 2 receiver, he doesn't need to be a so-called leader. Just needs to be a competitor and productive on the field.
Tommy: Part of the reason you build a strong culture and have leaders in the locker room like Dak Prescott is to lead others along. Let your leaders lead those that need to be led in the right direction, that's the other part of what Brian Schottenheimer is trying to build. As far as Pickens goes, he's very demonstrative in his frustrations when he doesn't get the ball or something doesn't go his way, but so are all wide receivers. That doesn't mean he's a locker room cancer though, and he doesn't necessarily need to be a leader there either. Is there maturing that needs to be done? Yes. Could issues still arise later on? Yes. For now though, there's nothing that tells us he can't buy into what Schottenheimer is doing and fit in with this team on and off the field.
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