The Cowboys had a couple conversations for WR targets before landing the deal with Pittsburgh.
Sources: During their pursuit of a receiver, the #Cowboys also looked into a trade for #Ravens WR Rashod Bateman. Those talks didn’t go far, and Dallas ultimately struck a post-draft deal with the #Steelers for George Pickens.
Dallas’ search for another receiver was a… pic.twitter.com/87QX5rIqcq
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 9, 2025
The Dallas Cowboys clearly weren’t paying lip service when owner Jerry Jones talked about looking to swing a deal. The scuttlebutt began well before the draft, with Jones flat-out saying he was looking at the trade market to try and fill remaining holes in the Cowboys 2025 roster. After swinging three trades during free agency, the club was still short of a wideout.
This week, Dallas completed a deal with Pittsburgh, sending a third rounder and swapping Day 3 picks with the Steelers in order to acquire George Pickens. It seems their phone bills are going to show several long-distance calls to AFC North cities, as the team reportedly was working on a deal for Baltimore Ravens WR Rashod Bateman prior to the draft.
According to Jordan Schultz, Bateman was a conversation that didn’t get nearly as far down the pike.
The Ravens’ first-round pick from 2021 is coming off his best season, hauling in 45 receptions for 756 yards and scoring nine touchdowns. Much like Pickens, Bateman is a deep threat, averaging 16.8 yards per reception last season. As a 2021 first-round pick, the Ravens faced a potential fifth-year option situation, but his first three years didn’t warrant such an investment.
Instead, the Ravens and Bateman agreed to a two-year, $12.9 million extension prior to the 2024 deadline, with those two seasons kicking in starting 2025. The Cowboys basically tried to take Bateman’s negotiated contract and add him to their fold for the next two seasons.
It’s unclear what compensation the Cowboys could’ve been offering, but chances are they paid more for Pickens than they would’ve had for Bateman. Pickens’ market value is currently at $25.3 million per season, according to Spotrac.