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FRISCO, TX — Re-sign George Pickens. Read that first sentence as many times as is necessary, Dallas Cowboys. Not only has he wildly disproven the narrative that attached itself to him during his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but what he put on film with a capable quarterback in All-Pro Dak Prescott was nothing short of jaw-dropping.
Pickens is an alien talent, and a locker room gem; and he's only 24 years old, so beloved by his teammates in Dallas that CeeDee Lamb is willing to rework his multi-year contract to keep the duo together for the long haul.
Now, all of that having been said, free agency is a strange beast, and in the event the Cowboys opt to move on from Pickens — something no one should plan on seeing happen, by the way — due diligence requires I take a look at options in free agency that could potentially step in and keep the offense from taking a huge step in the wrong direction…
… because the depth chart will need more than CeeDee Lamb and Ryan Flournoy.
Welcome to this year's Open Market series, beginning with a look at free agent options at WR.
What's Here
(Market value, when available, provided by Spotrac)
George Pickens: Make no mistake here, Pickens is the most important free agent currently in the building in Dallas, and he's also atop the list for some other clubs as well. The latter fact is why the Cowboys are expected to place the exclusive franchise tag on him — a tidbit that isn't exactly news, by the way, regardless of which of your favorite national talking heads pretends it is on social media for engagement — considering I've said as much many times, and for months now.
If the tag (projected to land at a fully guaranteed $28.8M) is placed on Pickens, a newly-crowned Pro Bowler coming off of a career-best season with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, view it as a placeholder to get a deal done before the mid-July deadline without outside interference. It would behoove the Cowboys to get a deal done quickly though, to keep most of that tag expense freed up for free agency shopping in March. (Market value: $30.6M annually)
Jalen Tolbert: The former third-round pick grew from being a deer in headlights as a rookie to a viable WR3 option in Year 2, but things never truly materialized consistently for Tolbert after that point. Still young and talented, there's a good chance a split is needed, as it would allow Tolbert a fresh start elsewhere and the continued development in Dallas of Ryan Flournoy who, after a breakout season in 2025, is the definitive WR3 on this roster — to the point it forced Tolbert to the inactives list for much of last season.
I simply don't foresee Tolbert being willing to re-sign to battle for the WR4/WR5 role, having not fared well in doing so previously but, again, he'll likely get a shot somewhere, and it's a spot the Cowboys can also effectively address in the draft or with the development of in-house talent like Jonathan Mingo and/or Traeshon Holden. (Market value: $3.8M annually)
What's Out There
Note: These players will be unrestricted on March 11, barring a newly-signed deal with their incumbent team prior to that date.
Alec Pierce: A former second-round pick in 2022, out of Cincinnati, Pierce is just 25 years old and already one of the best at the position. He helped Daniel Jones and the Colts become an explosive offense, leading the league in yards per catch in each of the last two seasons (21.8 average since 2024!!). Pierce also topped 1,000 receiving yards in 2025, had four touchdowns in his last three games in Indy, and the Colts are going to try their damndest to keep him from leaving but, in the highly unlikely event Pickens is allowed to leave, Pierce is definitely an option opposite Lamb. (Market value: $20M annually)
Romeo Doubs: Another young option at receiver is Doubs, one of the Packers' best offensive options on a regular basis. Also 25 years old, Doubs is a former fourth-round pick (2022) out of Nevada, and his consistency and availability are two of his most intriguing attributes. Granted, he's not Pickens — no one on this list is, or near it, all things considered — but Doubs has steadily improved since entering the league en route to a career-best 2025 season with 724 receiving yards and six touchdowns (two shy of a career-high). A less-expensive, but definitely worthy option to consider. (Market value: $12M annually)
Rashid Shaheed: I know what you're thinking here and, no, I do not think KaVonte Turpin is somehow broken. I'm more of the mindset he's having difficulty adapting to his new coordinator, but that's a story for another day. That said, if Pickens is gone, elevating Flournoy to WR2, a more consistent offensive option is needed (719 receiving yards + 5 receiving TDs in 2025 regular season) and Shaheed presents that possibility with the fact he serves as insurance at returner (he is a First-team All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowl returner, after all) in the event Turpin can't get back to peak levels under his current special teams administration. (Market value: $14.1M annually)
Wan'Dale Robinson: If you notice an age trend here, it's for a reason, and that reason is, well, the only reason this list exists for me is to account for the slim chance there's no Pickens in Dallas come 2026; and that's something I wouldn't bet on, but I also have a job to do in assessing all the variables — as required by science. As such, allow me to present Robinson, a 25-year-old who has, to this point, spent his entire rookie contract with a division rival in New York, and a former second-round pick that has proven himself a dynamic complement to an explosive WR1. He'll need to heal up from the rib injury suffered late in 2025, but that's not a major concern at all … though the price might be. (Market value: $17.6M annually)
Honorable mention
- Jauan Jennings, Deebo Samuel, Mike Evans, Keenan Allen
Outside of Jennings, the mentions here involve longstanding veterans who have proven themselves through more than just their rookie contract, and who continue to play at a high level — Allen being an example of both traits at the age of 33 years old. Evans is a future Hall of Famer, but it's fair to say he's injury-prone now, and especially for the money he'd command (projected $13.3M annually), and likely wants to suit up only for the Bucs anyway.
Samuel isn't what he once was, but he's still a very real threat to defenses, and Jennings' ability to move the chains and score the football (9 receiving TDs in 2025) is more than evident, plus he's got plenty of tread left on those young tires.
