NFL Teams Reportedly Think Cowboys' George Pickens Trade Could 'Tilt' NFC East Race

The addition of George Pickens made the Dallas Cowboys a better team this offseason, and some teams think the move will be enough for the Cowboys to compete for a division title.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on SportsCenter on Saturday that teams believe the Pickens trade can "tilt the field" in the division race this season.

"This George Pickens trade has the league's full attention, particularly in the NFC East," Fowler said. "People I've talked to in that division feel like he can tilt the field for Dallas and he'll be a major player. Because he is one of the best contested catchers in the league, body contortive things downfield, so he gives them a new dimension. The issue really in Pittsburgh was really the maturity issues and some of those problems there, but a lot of it stems with Pickens wanting to get the ball, and wanting the offense to move properly, having the passing game humming. And so Dallas has that with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb already. So he's walking into a good situation."

Pickens has had a strong start to his career and posted 900 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 14 games last season. As good as he has been on the field, there have also been concerns about his maturity and attitude because of altercations with players and other distractions.

But according to Fowler, Pickens left those issues in Pittsburgh and is ready to turn the corner in Dallas.

"Cowboys feel like he'll be highly motivated, he'll be on his best behavior in a contract year," Fowler said. "So this could really pay off. This is a thing where Dallas has made a trade where people stopped and said 'Ok, this is a factor.' So it's really resonated league-wide."

Dallas traded for Pickens in May, sending draft picks to the Steelers in return. At his best, Pickens is capable of being a WR1, but the Cowboys will look for him to be a strong complement to star CeeDee Lamb as the team searches for playoff success.