George Pickens Is Skipping Voluntary OTAs and Dallas Fans Are Officially Sweating

Alright, so we're keeping an eye on the rest of the league, and seriously, what is going on down in Dallas? Big news just dropped: Pro Bowl receiver George Pickens, a huge part of their offense, is straight-up skipping the voluntary portion of their OTAs! You gotta wonder what's cooking behind the scenes when a player like that is a no-show, even if it is "voluntary."

Dallas Is All In on the Rookies, While Vets Are a Question Mark

Speaking of things happening in Texas, at least the Cowboys got one piece of business squared away. Their first-round pick, Malachi Lawrence, finally signed his rookie contract. That's a wrap for them, meaning all seven of Dallas' 2026 NFL Draft picks are officially under contract. It's a full rookie class locked in, which is good for their future, I guess. Meanwhile, head coach Brian Schottenheimer did offer a "promising update" on Pickens' absence, whatever that means. He’s expected at the mandatory minicamp, but still, voluntary means you *could* be there.

Schottenheimer also gave an update on two other guys. We're gonna have to wait a bit longer to see DaRon Bland and Donovan Ezeiruaku back on the field, with their return timelines revealed during OTAs. Hope they're not rushing things. It's early in the season, nobody needs to be pushing it too hard right now.

O-Line Battles and Defensive Promises

The Cowboys are clearly trying to shore up their offensive line, which is always a crucial battle. Schottenheimer confirmed that Tyler Guyton and Nate Thomas are going to be in a full-blown competition for the starting left tackle job. Guyton's take on it? Pretty standard, honestly. He's just gonna "come to work every day" and "try to get better." Can't argue with that hustle, but the proof will be on the field, right?

On the other side of the ball, Schottenheimer said he's "Thrilled with what I see from our defense right now." That's a bold claim, especially when the word from their own camp is that their defense "struggled in many areas last season," and one thing that "simply needs to change is recording more turnovers." Sounds like they've got some work to do, but at least their coach is feeling good. They're also talking up veteran Jalen Thompson teaming up with Caleb Downs, who's apparently owned the headlines down there. Guess they're trying to inject some veteran leadership into that unit.

So, what's next for them? The Cowboys are trying to sharpen things up early, scheduling a joint practice against Myles Garrett and the Rams, plus the Saints. Big tests for them coming up. We'll be watching, even if it's not our boys out there. Go Hawks!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.