Let the lames, oops, I mean let the “games” begin. Instead of the Black and Gold attempting to extend the contract of their young great wide receiver George Pickens, they decided to deliver Pickens to the already stacked and loaded stable of the Dallas Cowboys.
Jarrett Bailey recently posted an article, “Mike Tomlin speaks on George Pickens trade.” Bailey quoted both Mike Tomlin and GM Omar Khan regarding the ill-advised deal. “We had conversations internally,” Khan said. “We also had some conversations with George’s agent, Dave (Mulugheta) who I have a good relationship with. We discussed where things have been with George, where they are… this trade made sense for everyone.”
First of all, how often does an agent suggest a deal that does not benefit him or his client? The Dallas Cowboys paid the Steelers vienna sausage money for a filet mignon regarding the actual value of George Pickens.
Coach Mike Tomlin chimed in as well. “I’m not gonna add any color to it other than what Omar told you guys yesterday. We thought it was best in time for all parties involved. We’re really just focused on the opportunity this weekend with the rookies.”
OK, Coach Tomlin. Focusing on rookies with no experience instead of retaining a possible future NFL Hall-of-Famer is like me saying; “how dare you let the rug down before we finish sweeping this rhetorical nonsense and crap under it.”
George Pickens performed at a high level when he was with the Steelers, despite Pittsburgh playing a concerto not with violins but with musical chairs moving in and out of a revolving door of offensive coordinators, quarterbacks as well as having no offensive philosophy or identity. Hey boys and girls, adding color might be good for the pallet of Picasso. But would you mind adding just a smidgen of common sense? The intellectual portrait that the Black and Gold is currently painting probably won’t be hanging in any major art galleries anytime soon.
It appears to me at least that more attention to detail as well as a ton of effort has and is being made to negotiate a deal for quarterback Aaron Rodgers instead of George Pickens. Rodgers may be on his way out to the pastures of Green Bay to embark on his new career as a dairy farmer. Why is that you ask? Well, because Rodgers has treated the Steelers as if they are a bunch of “cheeseheads.”
Maximum “attention” has been given to acquiring the services of Rodgers, while George Pickens was almost perpetually placed in “detention” during most of his brief career in Pittsburgh. After wearing the dunce cap and being placed in timeout for most of his career with the Steelers for minor “personality violations,” Pickens is now in a place where he can “party like it’s 1999.” A few pundits are even going as far to suggest that someone over at the Steelers may be, as the late musical icon Prince might say, “out of time.”
The Steelers may now be the ones wearing a dunce cap placed on their noggins. Is there anyone associated with the management of the Steelers that should be placed in “timeout” or should it be “time over”?
Andrew Buller-Russ recently posted a story: “Pittsburgh Steelers feared toxic locker room with George Pickens.”
Buller-Russ writes that some in the locker room got “fed up with Pickens’ antics and were quickly turned off by him.” Others reportedly felt it would be “counterproductive” to keep Pickens on the roster, and some even felt the locker room could “turn toxic.” While Pickens could be a significant addition to the Cowboys’ offense, “not many inside the Steelers were broken up” about the trade.
Talk about toxic? If the Steelers eventually sign Aaron Rodgers, one of the stipulations that should be a primary component of the agreement is that Rodgers be required to attend weekly NA meetings. No, not Narcotics Anonymous, but Narcissist Anonymous. Can you imagine this scenario? Hi, I’m Aaron and I am a narcissist, one day at a time.
George Pickens has already taken a giant leap for the Steelers and landed on his feet. Now he is going to be leaping over defensive backs for the Dallas Cowboys on Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays, or any other day that Dallas puts on pads and cleats.
At this point, Roman Wilson has not taken a big leap forward for the Steelers. Heck, the Steelers can barely get him to warm the bench. Has Roman Wilson even taken baby steps? By trading George Pickens, did someone high-dive into a concrete bone-dry swimming pool? Or did they skydive from the “aircraft of competition” using their trousers as parachutes because they certainly were caught high and dry with their pants down?
Brooke Pryor recently posted: “Why Trading George Pickens Was Perfect Timing.” She said: “By sending George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys earlier this week, the Steelers guaranteed that yet another wide receiver drafted by the team won’t see a second contract in Pittsburgh. Of 16 extension-eligible wide receivers drafted by the team since 2007, three have received second contracts. Five played out their four-year deals and departed in free agency. Two were traded during their rookie deals. Four were cut before finishing those deals and one was signed off the Steelers’ practice squad to another team’s active roster.”
How was trading George Pickens perfect timing? Yeah, it may have been perfect timing for the Cowboys but pull Steelers wide receiver D.K. Metcalf off to the side and I almost guarantee you that he will whisper in your ear that it might not have been such a great idea to trade Pickens. If you were a wide receiver, would you rather look over and see Roman Wilson or George Pickens? Maybe someone over at the North Shore should pull out their old cassette tape player and listen to the Morris Day tune: “The Color of Success.” Morris tells us: “Patience gone, time to move along. No one to blame, it is time to win. Don’t criticize, try to realize I am number one in the end. Oh, I play to win that’s the color, the color of success, I play to win.”
Are the Steelers playing to win, or just to survive?
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