OXNARD, Calif. (AP) \u2014 The Dallas Cowboys are confident George Pickens the player will be a problem for opponents because Pickens the person won\u2019t cause problems in their own locker room.<\/p>\n
That might be a surprise given Pickens\u2019 three often tumultuous seasons playing wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers before he was traded to Dallas in May<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cLike, I\u2019ve seen what y\u2019all seen on film, like, trust me,\u201d wide receiver CeeDee Lamb said. \u201cI know what it looks like. But if you talk to this man and have a decent conversation, I guarantee you\u2019ll understand that this man is kindhearted.\u201d<\/p>\n Pickens, 24, had multiple notable on-field incidents in Pittsburgh<\/a> to create a questionable reputation. He had two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a Week 13 win at Cincinnati last season after having been involved in an altercation with Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome the previous week.<\/p>\n Those occasions, along with sideline blowups at teammates and coaches, led Steelers coach Mike Tomlin to rebuke Pickens several times, memorably saying \u201c He\u2019s just got to grow up, man<\/a> \u201d after receiving two flags but avoiding being tossed against the Bengals in December.<\/p>\n The reasons behind Pickens\u2019 public persona, Dallas players insist, come from his desire to win.<\/p>\n \u201cHe loves football, so that\u2019s something that you cannot question about him,\u201d wide receiver Jalen Tolbert said. \u201cThat speaks and jumps off the tape, obviously, and jumps off the field, and obviously in the meeting room, he can do the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n The Cowboys are working with Pickens to reign in his frustrations, but Lamb stressed the how different Pickens is outside the lines.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we get on the field, it\u2019s a different beast,\u201d Lamb said. \u201cI expect him to be an animal. But, like, we have an on and off button. Everybody on this field does. On any field, honestly. It\u2019s just, man, when you passionate about something, you don\u2019t really care what the narrative is around you.\u201d<\/p>\n Lamb and Pickens have seemingly become fast friends, often sharing information and dance moves on the practice field. They even worked up an elaborate handshake to celebrate touchdowns, which Lamb said took two days to fully choreograph.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a great receiver, he\u2019s a great person,\u201d Lamb said. \u201cHe\u2019s everything that the people say he isn\u2019t, and I feel like he don\u2019t get enough credit for being who he is. But you never know the situation that people are going though, so just being so quick to put a narrative on something that you don\u2019t really fully understand yet, I feel like it\u2019s kind of jumping the gun. But as for GP, man, he\u2019s a hard worker. He wants to be great. He\u2019s wanting to learn, and I love that the most about him because I\u2019m the same way.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite flashing star potential while putting up solid statistics in Pittsburgh, amassing 2,841 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns even with subpar quarterback play in three seasons, Pickens was as ready as the Steelers were for a separation<\/a>. As soon as he arrived in Dallas and met with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones following the trade, Pickens believed he was in the right place to redefine his career.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I needed a fresh start just in terms of, like you said, people not knowing me,\u201d Pickens said.<\/p>\n The challenge now is making sure quarterback Dak Prescott and Pickens can develop an understanding on the field. Their timing, or lack thereof, has shown up occasionally during the first week of training camp, such as when Pickens couldn\u2019t come down with an over the shoulder basket catch that hit him in the hands on a deep sideline route Saturday.<\/p>\n But once those issues are addressed, Pickens expects to form perhaps the most potent one-two receiver tandem in the NFL.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of people over the years got different type of styles of play, but CeeDee\u2019s a certain type of guy and then I\u2019m a certain type of guy, so when you mesh that together it\u2019s like \u2018Mario Bros,\u2019 you see what I mean? So we can definitely do something special,\u201d Lamb said.<\/p>\n \u201cLion King\u201d celebration<\/p>\n Cornerback Kaiir Elam delivered the most memorable moment of Saturday’s workout, intercepting Prescott and then celebrating<\/a> by reaching over the sideline railing to grab a fan’s infant to raise over his head with both hands, echoing Disney’s 1994 animated hit film \u201cThe Lion King.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI’m just trying to give the people a show,\u201d Elam said. \u201cI seen one of the guys who was like, \u2018I don\u2019t know about this kid picking up my kid.’ But the kid was excited, that’s all that matters.\u201d<\/p>\n