Who Should I Start? George Pickens or Cameron Ward

Sunday, February 1, 6:30 AM

There is a "strong belief" that the Dallas Cowboys will utilize the franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Pickens had an excellent first season in Dallas, catching 93 passes for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. All three of those marks were career-highs, as was his finish as the overall WR5 in full-PPR leagues. Pickens surpassed teammate CeeDee Lamb in all of those categories, too, but it's worth noting that the former played three additional games. Nevertheless, Pickens showed that he is absolutely capable of being a superstar No. 1 wide receiver in any NFL offense. As a result, he would fetch an enormous contract in free agency if he makes it that far. Archer speculates that Pickens could make more than Lamb ($34 million per year) in free agency, so the Cowboys will likely use the franchise tag to bring him back on a one-year, $28 million deal. While $62 million is a lot of money tied up to two receivers, a combination of Lamb and Pickens helps give Dallas one of the best offenses in the NFL, especially with quarterback Dak Prescott playing at a high level. Of course, the franchise tag is just a temporary fix, as it would push Pickens' free agency one year down the road. According to Archer, the last time that Dallas signed a franchise-tagged player to a long-term deal before the July extension deadline was 2015 (Dez Bryant).

Friday, January 30, 12:52 PM

The Tennessee Titans are hoping that new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll will help young quarterback Cam Ward, who struggled in his first year in the NFL after the Titans took him first overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. During Daboll's time in New England under Bill Belichick, he learned the Erhardt-Perkins system, which employs a concept-based passing scheme and runs to set up the pass. ESPN's Turron Davenport points out that Daboll has also used play-action, with vertical passing concepts, which match Ward's skill set. Ward had plenty of success using run-pass-option plays in college, and the Giants used RPOs at a 12.6% rate last year under Daboll, the fourth-highest rate in the league. The 23-year-old plans to clean up his mechanics after throwing for 3,169 yards, 15 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in his first 17 games. Ward must fix his accuracy issues to take the next step, but he should be in good hands with Daboll.