Some believe re-signing the breakout WR and dedicating unbalanced amounts of money to offense will doom the defense – that’s simply not true.

Congratulations to the #Bengals, who made it to the bottom. I wasn’t sure this week’s game with the Steelers was bad enough, but the Bengals now have the worst defensive DVOA ever measured (through 10 games).

(Higher DVOA = More Offense) pic.twitter.com/Co8mObe7F9

— Aaron Schatz 🏈 (@ASchatzNFL) November 17, 2025

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know George Pickens is having a helluva season in 2025. You also probably know he’s set to become a free agent this coming March. For the Dallas Cowboys it’s setting up to be a real “will they/won’t they” situation for the offseason while providing excitement, dread and debate amongst the fanbase.

The side of the affirmative argues Pickens is a special player who takes the Cowboys offense to new heights. Smart teams don’t just let special players walk out the door and with Dak Prescott already in the winter of his career, Dallas is as win-now as they’ve ever been.

The other side of the argument is one about pie. The Cowboys front office firmly believes any dollar spent on one side of the ball is a dollar that can’t be spent on the other side of the ball. This accrual-denying doctrine of theirs implies if they disproportionally spend in one area, a different area must suffer. This argument sparks the national discussion that overinvesting on offense would mean underinvesting on defense, which could spell doom. Case in point: the Cincinnati Bengals.

While multiple teams have successfully double-dipped at the wide receiver position over the years, the Bengals are the most financially comparable example of disproportionate spending. They serve as the cautionary tale in this regard because for as good as their offense is, their defense is all that and more on the other side of the spectrum.

Based on defensive DVOA, the Bengals are currently swimming is historically bad waters. For as dreadful as the Cowboys defense has looked this season, the Bengals defense takes that dreadfulness to new depths by ranking last in the NFL in yards, EPA, success rate, as well as DVOA. It’s a problem that has no quick cure since much of their money is tied up on the other side of the ball. It’s a situation the Cowboys do not want to find themselves in.

Much has been made about the Cowboys upcoming cap situation in 2026. National media will look at the books and say Dallas is in a hole. Thoughtful analysis by Cowboys Wire’s own, KD Drummond shows it doesn’t take a forensic accountant to clear space in a safe and responsible manner. The Cowboys will have money to spend even if they make Pickens the highest paid WR2 in the NFL this spring.

Signing Pickens does reduce the margin of error though, and that’s a margin the Bengals have been unable to clear on their team. Busted draft picks, underperforming veterans and suspect coaching have all hurt their defense more than the slim budget they’ve been forced to work with. It’s here where the Cowboys can’t afford to miss.

Quinnen Williams, Osa Odighizuwa and Kenny Clark give the Cowboys an elite interior defensive line to build around. Contrary to popular belief Dallas can indeed afford to keep all three. DeMarvion Overshown gives them an elite player at the second level to build around. Again, this is a player they CAN afford to re-sign. Assuming Trevon Diggs is gone after the season, DaRon Bland will represent the biggest cap charge in the secondary. Like the other core defenders, he’s affordable in a reduced budget situation as well. What ultimately makes this the make-or-break situation it is, is how the Cowboys surround those positions.

The Cowboys have to fill out the roster with young players playing on their rookie deals. They need lots of draft picks and they need to hit on those draft picks. The rookies Donovan Ezeiruaku and Shevon Revel sure look like the real deal. With any luck Caelen Carson, Marist Liufau, Shemar James, and other promising defenders can step into their roles as well.

Add in some smart X’s and O’s coaches who bring direction and demand accountability and you have a formula for success. The Cowboys can afford to re-sign Pickens and make their roster offense-heavy on payroll provided they make smart roster moves to support it. That’s where the Bengals have failed.

Offensive success is more stable year to year than defensive success, so it makes sense that a team spends more on the offensive side of the ball. The Cowboys can’t dodge greatness just because they’re afraid they’ll turn into Cincinnati. The Bengals aren’t bad because they re-signed Tee Higgins, they’re bad because they made poor personnel decisions around him.  

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