Stephen Jones compares George Pickens to Dez Bryant, reveals plan for new WR in Cowboys’ offense

It hasn’t taken long for new Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens to make an impression on the Dallas staff. Ironically, Pickens reminds Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones of a former Dallas receiver.

“He’s an uber competitor, and we had one in Dez Bryant who was the same way,” Jones said. “He just couldn’t get enough. And boy, when the lights came on and his cleats hit the turf, he was a different guy. And it feels like George is going to be that way. He certainly sometimes plays with high emotion and that can, as we all know, when you’re playing sports and you’re competing and you’re playing with a lot of emotion, sometimes you can make a wrong decision here and there.”

“But, we had that with Dez, but certainly he knows he wants to continue to get his hands around that, just like Dez worked at it all the time. And we feel like that it’s certainly worth what comes with that in terms of what he’s doing to continue to get better when he’s out there competing week in and week out.”

Like Bryant back in his heyday, Pickens provides extra entertainment on the field with his competitive spirit and occasionally fiery play. However, Pickens’ passion has caused him problems in the past.

Last year, George Pickens received two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the Steelers’ 44-38 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. In the same game, he punted a ball into the stands after scoring a touchdown.

In the prior week, Pickens was involved in a scuffle with Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II during a Hail Mary attempt. Simply put, Pickens isn’t afraid to let his opponents know when he outplays them.

Bryant was similar, never failing to throw up his signature “X” celebration after hauling in a touchdown. Of course, it’s easier for fans to buy into this behavior when the player is performing at a high level. Through his first three NFL seasons, Pickens has never failed to wow fans with his abilities on the gridiron.

“He’s just a dynamic receiver,” Jones said, per ProFootballTalk. “Everybody says we’re looking for a two. I mean, George can be a one. He’s got that type of talent. He’s got unbelievable ball-tracking ability. He’s got plenty of juice and he’s a fiery competitor. And we love that, he plays with an edge, and we think he’d be a good fit for our team.”

In three years with the Steelers, George Pickens amassed 48 appearances and 40 starts. He racked up 2,841 receiving yards and 13 total TDs. Pickens is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is seemingly excited about the opportunity to start fresh in a new environment.

“This game is just as much a business as it is football,” Pickens said, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. “It’s kinda like out of my control. I’m glad to be here in Dallas and able to continue the winning culture that they have.

“… “I’m kinda where my feet are right now, to be honest… I’m not really thinking about contract talks. I’m just glad to be with the Cowboys right now, trying to build a winning culture.”