The New England Patriots made a big offseason move by trading for A.J. Brown, but it hasn't paid off yet. He's been pretty banged up, and he hasn't been much of a factor when he has suited up.
While the team should be patient with a player of his caliber, that doesn't mean they shouldn't consider all their options. The wide receiver corps is thin, and there might be some big-name guys up for grabs soon.
With the Dallas Cowboys at 3-5 and all the uncertainty about his future, another loss might prompt them to consider trading George Pickens. If so, the Patriots should get Jerry Jones on the phone.
The Patriots should keep an eye on George Pickens after Week 9
The Cowboys will visit the ailing Indianapolis Colts in Week 9. They should win that game on paper, but that was also the case last week before they wound up losing to Gardner Minshew II and the Arizona Cardinals at home.
Their defense has been atrocious again, and opposing teams have caught up to their once-explosive offense. So, with an overpriced roster and Pickens playing on the franchise tag, they might not be able/willing to give him the long-term deal he's looking for.
That said, their struggles haven't been on the former second-round pick. He's caught 39 passes on 62 targets for 533 yards and two touchdowns. While those numbers aren't as eye-popping as his breakout year last season, the Cowboys have used CeeDee Lamb as their featured guy and expanded Ryan Flournoy's role.
Pickens arrived in Arlington with a bad rap, but he's stayed out of trouble and has said and done all the right things after leaving Pittsburgh. He might be available for a mid-round pick if the Cowboys fall to 3-6, and at just 25, he's worth the gamble as a long-term solution.
He's currently dealing with an injured hamstring, so he might not even suit up in Indianapolis. Or maybe, just maybe, the Cowboys are playing it safe with him, with another classic case of pre-trade-deadline injury, because they know they can't/shouldn't give him the market-caliber contract he'll demand at the end of the season.
The Patriots' WR corps isn't that deep right now, but a unit consisting of Brown, Pickens, Doubs, Kyle Williams, DeMario Douglas, and Mack Hollins can certainly make a ton of noise.
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