'We complement each other very well': How Pickens, Lamb are meshing for Cowboys

FRISCO, Texas -- Dak Prescott looked near toward George Pickens portion dropping back. Quickly, Prescott shifted his eyes to the close and fired a completion to Jalen Tolbert for a humble summation successful the 2nd of the Dallas Cowboys' 3 organized squad activities past week.

Immediately, Prescott walked implicit to Pickens for a abbreviated speech and a pat connected the helmet.

Not agelong thereafter, the aforesaid script unfolded, but this clip Prescott threw the shot to Pickens successful beforehand of a defender. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Pickens made an accommodation connected the way and pulled successful an casual catch.

It was a subtle infinitesimal successful precocious May that the Cowboys anticipation pays disconnected for them successful a larger mode during the regular season.

Pickens has been a Cowboy for little than a period since being acquired from the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the excitement his accomplishment has brought to the enactment is palpable from ownership to the coaches to the players.

The Cowboys knew they needed much astatine the wide receiver position, and the operation of Pickens and CeeDee Lamb could springiness them 1 of the champion one-two punches successful the NFL.

"Man, we complement each different precise well," Lamb said. "Obviously, he's a gangly figure. His quality to spell up and get the shot astatine the highest constituent is amazing. I don't deliberation anybody successful the league tin truly ... he's up determination with the guys successful the league arsenic acold arsenic 50/50 balls, heavy threat. Anything arsenic acold arsenic moving routes, it's beauteous good. It's bully to see."

Pickens' assimilation to the Cowboys has been smooth. It helps that helium and Lamb person a erstwhile relationship. They person worked retired unneurotic implicit the years and person respected each different from afar. Recently, they attended the foundation softball crippled held by Arizona Cardinals backmost Kyler Murray.

At past week's OTA that was unfastened to the media, they were perpetually connected, either moving connected the Jugs instrumentality during the peculiar teams' information of the workout oregon betwixt plays.

What tin Pickens larn from the 6-2, 200-pound Lamb?

"Just intermediate stuff," Pickens said. "He's got large feet, stepping successful definite places. He steps successful spot a lot, which means helium tin get wherever he's going accelerated and successful a abbreviated space. And he's tall. A batch of radical don't cognize he's benignant of tall."

In 2020, Lamb, a rookie, leaned connected seasoned Amari Cooper. Now helium tin bash the aforesaid for Pickens, adjacent if determination is lone a two-year property gap.

"When I was a rookie, I was inactive a pupil of the game, and I was excited to learn, anxious to larn and enactment successful my books and asking questions, which is what [Pickens] is doing," Lamb said. "Fast guardant 5 years later, present the roles are reversed. Still grateful again, I can't admit Coop capable for the cognition that he's fixed me. Man, he's impacted my vocation for the agelong haul."

When Prescott was a rookie successful 2016, the Cowboys had Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley arsenic his apical wide receiver threats. In 2018, the Cowboys traded for Cooper midseason and the quarterback's productivity took off. In 2019, helium had 2 1,000-yard receivers successful Cooper and Michael Gallup.

In 2020, Lamb showed up. By Lamb's 2nd year, helium was a Pro Bowler. In 2023, helium led the NFL successful catches with 135, mounting squad records for receptions and receiving yards (1,749).

With Lamb and Pickens, defenses volition beryllium challenged because, arsenic Prescott said, they can't double-team everybody.

"Looking astatine the guy's tape, you spot what helium does, the benignant of receiver helium is. He's going to triumph connected one-on-ones. He tin triumph 2 versus 1 if helium has to," Prescott said. "Very, precise talented guy. When you tin adhd him alongside a CeeDee and the remainder of the weapons we have, I'm ace excited."

Pickens is successful the aboriginal stages of learning the Cowboys' discourtesy but doesn't deliberation it volition beryllium hard to master. From the authoritative offseason enactment that concludes June 12 with minicamp to the unofficial offseason enactment that follows with Prescott holding throwing sessions earlier grooming campy successful July, helium believes determination is capable time.

"Offensively, plays are benignant of cosmopolitan each crossed the league," helium said.

Pickens came to the Cowboys with immoderate questions aft his 3 years with the Steelers. Tardiness was an issue. Outbursts connected the tract and sidelines were an issue.

Cowboys manager Brian Schottenheimer likes what helium has seen truthful far.

"I spot a feline that's maturing. I spot a feline that we're excited to enactment retired determination and ticker him turn and get better," Schottenheimer said. "He evidently is simply a tremendous athlete, but I emotion watching him successful meetings, due to the fact that successful meetings, he's been truthful dialed in, taking large notes.

"He knows he's a small spot behind, not a batch but a small spot down successful presumption of what the veterans are doing. But his intentionality successful the gathering country has been truly chill for maine to see."