OXNARD, Calif. (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys are confident George Pickens the player will be a problem for opponents because Pickens the person won’t cause problems in their own locker room.
That might be a surprise given Pickens’ three often tumultuous seasons playing wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers before he was traded to Dallas in May.
“Like, I’ve seen what y’all seen on film, like, trust me,” wide receiver CeeDee Lamb said. “I know what it looks like. But if you talk to this man and have a decent conversation, I guarantee you’ll understand that this man is kindhearted.”
Pickens, 24, had multiple notable on-field incidents in Pittsburgh to create a questionable reputation. He had two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a Week 13 win at Cincinnati last season after having been involved in an altercation with Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome the previous week.
Those occasions, along with sideline blowups at teammates and coaches, led Steelers coach Mike Tomlin to rebuke Pickens several times, memorably saying “ He’s just got to grow up, man ” after receiving two flags but avoiding being tossed against the Bengals in December.
The reasons behind Pickens’ public persona, Dallas players insist, come from his desire to win.
“He loves football, so that’s something that you cannot question about him,” wide receiver Jalen Tolbert said. “That speaks and jumps off the tape, obviously, and jumps off the field, and obviously in the meeting room, he can do the same thing.”
The Cowboys are working with Pickens to reign in his frustrations, but Lamb stressed the how different Pickens is outside the lines.
“When we get on the field, it’s a different beast,” Lamb said. “I expect him to be an animal. But, like, we have an on and off button. Everybody on this field does. On any field, honestly. It’s just, man, when you passionate about something, you don’t really care what the narrative is around you.”
Lamb and Pickens have seemingly become fast friends, often sharing information and dance moves on the practice field. They even worked up an elaborate handshake to celebrate touchdowns, which Lamb said took two days to fully choreograph.
“He’s a great receiver, he’s a great person,” Lamb said. “He’s everything that the people say he isn’t, and I feel like he don’t get enough credit for being who he is. But you never know the situation that people are going though, so just being so quick to put a narrative on something that you don’t really fully understand yet, I feel like it’s kind of jumping the gun. But as for GP, man, he’s a hard worker. He wants to be great. He’s wanting to learn, and I love that the most about him because I’m the same way.”
Despite flashing star potential while putting up solid statistics in Pittsburgh, amassing 2,841 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns even with subpar quarterback play in three seasons, Pickens was as ready as the Steelers were for a separation. As soon as he arrived in Dallas and met with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones following the trade, Pickens believed he was in the right place to redefine his career.
“I think I needed a fresh start just in terms of, like you said, people not knowing me,” Pickens said.
The challenge now is making sure quarterback Dak Prescott and Pickens can develop an understanding on the field. Their timing, or lack thereof, has shown up occasionally during the first week of training camp, such as when Pickens couldn’t come down with an over the shoulder basket catch that hit him in the hands on a deep sideline route Saturday.
But once those issues are addressed, Pickens expects to form perhaps the most potent one-two receiver tandem in the NFL.
“A lot of people over the years got different type of styles of play, but CeeDee’s a certain type of guy and then I’m a certain type of guy, so when you mesh that together it’s like ‘Mario Bros,’ you see what I mean? So we can definitely do something special,” Lamb said.
“Lion King” celebration
Cornerback Kaiir Elam delivered the most memorable moment of Saturday’s workout, intercepting Prescott and then celebrating by reaching over the sideline railing to grab a fan’s infant to raise over his head with both hands, echoing Disney’s 1994 animated hit film “The Lion King.”
“I’m just trying to give the people a show,” Elam said. “I seen one of the guys who was like, ‘I don’t know about this kid picking up my kid.’ But the kid was excited, that’s all that matters.”
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