When the news broke that the Pittsburgh Steelers were trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys, fans of both teams had mixed reactions.
Pickens has obvious talent, which he has displayed during his first three NFL seasons, but that talent has often been outshone by his lack of maturity. He has had trouble with penalties and questionable remarks in interviews, and his body language and effort on the field have been questioned in the past.
Based on how Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer talked about him during a media session Tuesday, it seems like Pickens may be turning a corner now that he is out of Pittsburgh.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver George Pickens showing growth according to new coach
Everything Schottenheimer said about Pickens in his media session should be taken with a grain of salt, but he sure sounded like a coach who is thrilled to have him aboard.
The pairing of CeeDee Lamb and Pickens is certainly a tantalizing thought for an offensive-minded coach like Schottenheimer, so it's no surprise that he is tossing praise his way early.
"We don't do As and Bs, we think there's a 1 over there (CeeDee Lamb) and if you look over there, there's a 1 (George Pickens) over there," he stated during his press conference.
That is high praise, but with Lamb working from the slot at a high rate in recent years, Pickens could see similar target numbers to what he did in Pittsburgh despite no longer being the true top target.
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The former second-round pick's talent has never been in question, which is why Schottenheimer's comments on his maturity are the most noteworthy.
"I see a guy that's maturing. I see a guy that were excited to put out there and watch him grow and get better," Schottenheimer said when discussing his first impressions of Pickens.
That is a far cry from how Pickens was talked about while in Pittsburgh. Maybe the reality of being traded has triggered a change in him as a person, or maybe he just feels like he is in a better position to succeed.
No matter the reason for the apparent change, Steelers fans will be watching to see if the team has finally made a mistake moving on from a wide receiver.