There is a particular kind of buzz that surrounds the Dallas Cowboys, and this offseason has already proven to be no exception.
If anything, the recent noise has grown more disorienting by the day and left fans uncertain of what exactly is true.
So, what constitutes buzz from baloney? The more that speculations spiral, the harder things become to decipher.
That's been the story of the George Pickens situation over the last week.
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Just hours before the Cowboys began the 2026 NFL Draft, word circulated that the star wide receiver had signed his franchise tag. That would lock him in for the 2026 season at just over $27 million, but also open up trade possibilities.
That timing is suspicious, given the rumors of Dallas' interest in being willing to move throughout the draft. But Pickens playing on the tag had been news the Dallas brass announced before last Thursday's first round, and one Cowboys Nation would've been happy to hear Pickens officially accept.
After a strong showing in the draft and no more reports on the receiver, the media has still left holes in the story unfilled.
As it turns out, Pickens has not yet signed his franchise tag.
Moreover, we know Pickens has also not yet attended the first phase of the Cowboys' offseason program, which began this week.
While the Cowboys and head coach Brian Schottenheimer had the expectation that Pickens would be present, these remain voluntary workouts. Pickens is not yet required to attend, especially since he hasn't signed a contract.
So he's not "skipping'' anything. And it's not "OTAs,'' as some have erronously reported.
An ESPN report on Monday shifted the narrative into a different direction, with Adam Schefter saying Pickens wants a long-term deal or a trade.
But when our Mike Fisher investigated the matter, a source from inside the building said to CowboysRoundtable.com that any news of the contrary - like a purported hint of a trade demand - is "news to us."
"There's not going to be any trade," the Cowboys told us.
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Also troubling? The original ESPN tweet celebrating Schefter's "scoop'' has disappeared. They took it down off X. ... which leads to questions ...
Did Schefter lie? Was he manipulated? Was he wrong? In any event, why not concede the error? Why try to conceal it? (P.S.: They failed to conceal it, even by erasing it. See below ...)
It’s alive! https://t.co/rfLruUAPhv pic.twitter.com/1c60lSgvaH
Pickens is, of course, represented by Athlete's First agent David Mulugheta, the same counsel who repped Micah Parsons throughout his situation in Dallas last offseason that ultimately led to a trade to the Green Bay Packers in August.