Cowboys get terrible George Pickens news in free agency

The Dallas Cowboys have a long history of waiting until the last minute to give their star players new contracts. Ten out of ten times, that has led them to pay more than what they should've had if they had done the deal in a timely manner. More than that, negotiations often get rocky and personal, and that's not something they want to risk with a high-character guy like George Pickens. Pickens will make just under $28 million next season if he plays on the franchise tag. However, he's always been a long shot to do so, and now that Jaxon Smith-Njigba has pushed the wide receiver market with his massive contract extension, According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, Pickens is next in line to join Ja'Marr Chase and Smith-Njigba on the $40 million-a-year club: "And his desire to get a long-term deal will only become stronger, now that two other receivers have made it to the $40 million threshold," Florio wrote. The Cowboys have until July 15 to agree to a long-term deal with the former second-rounder. Otherwise, he'll likely sit out and threaten to leave. More than that, the Cowboys will probably have to pay even more if they don't get a deal done any time soon, given that the Los Angeles Rams will probably sign Puka Nacua to an even bigger extension: "Regardless, the price will keep going up. The Rams likely will be signing receiver Puka Nacua to a new deal, sooner than later. He’ll quite possibly be the next player to get to $40 million per year. That will make Pickens even more determined to get there," he continued. Florio reported that there have been no negotiations between Pickens and the Cowboys yet. Once again, Jerry Jones is going to have to overspend because he didn't learn from his previous mistakes.