{"id":47089,"date":"2025-05-10T02:35:59","date_gmt":"2025-05-10T02:35:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=47089"},"modified":"2025-05-10T02:35:59","modified_gmt":"2025-05-10T02:35:59","slug":"breaking-cowboys-tried-to-snatch-ravens-star-wr-rashod-bateman-in-bold-trade-attempt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=47089","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING: Cowboys Tried to Snatch Ravens Star WR Rashod Bateman in Bold Trade Attempt"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Cowboys\u2019 long-running search for an upper-crust No. 2 wide receiver appears to have ended with the\u00a0G<\/a>eorge Pickens<\/strong>\u00a0trade. Although Dallas does not have assurances Pickens\u00a0will be more than a one-year rental, the team has an intriguing\u00a0CeeDee Lamb<\/strong>\u00a0complementary piece for 2025.<\/p>\n

\"\"Dallas and Pittsburgh had begun discussing Pickens before the draft, and the NFC East team upped its offer \u2014\u00a0to one headlined by a 2026 third-round pick, as opposed to a fourth \u2014 to seal the deal. Prior to that agreement, however, the Cowboys are believed to have called the Ravens about one of their\u00a0Zay Flowers<\/strong>\u00a0supporting-casters.<\/p>\n

[RELATED: Omar Khan Addresses Pickens Trade Decision]<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rashod Bateman<\/strong>\u00a0drew Dallas interest,\u00a0according to Fox Sports\u2019 Jordan Schultz. The Cowboys and Ravens discussed Bateman, though Schultz adds the conversation did not progress too far. Bateman has not delivered Pickens-level production yet, but the Ravens have shown faith in the 2021 first-round pick.<\/p>\n

The sides\u00a0agreed on an extension last year, after Baltimore let\u00a0Odell Beckham Jr.<\/strong>\u00a0walk in free agency, and Bateman\u2019s second contract likely led to a higher asking price coming from the AFC North team. The former first-round pick is signed through 2026 at just $6.4MM per year.<\/p>\n

Bateman\u2019s production would not warrant a lofty asking price; Pickens has the Minnesota alum lapped there. At 25, Bateman is also more than a year older and carries a notable injury history that Pickens does not. But the Ravens expressed confidence in the former No. 27 overall pick\u2019s trajectory by extending him. The Ravens saw Bateman help\u00a0Lamar Jackson<\/strong>\u00a0to a third first-team All-Pro season by posting a career-high 756 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. The latter number smashed Bateman\u2019s career-best mark, as he had not previously surpassed two TDs in a season.<\/p>\n

Not bringing the maturity concerns Pickens does, Bateman also carrying a through-2026 contract \u2014 with base salaries of just $3.75 (guaranteed) and $6.5MM (nonguaranteed) \u2014 would make him a player that would command a reasonable asking price in a trade. The Ravens also did not add a wide receiver until Round 6 in this year\u2019s draft, which came after the team replaced\u00a0Nelson Agholor<\/strong>\u00a0with\u00a0DeAndre Hopkins<\/strong>\u00a0in free agency.<\/p>\n

\"\"Not missing a game due to injury over the past two seasons, Bateman has created some distance from the concerns that developed after an injury-marred 2022 campaign. With Hopkins not delivering too much for a Chiefs team in need at receiver last season, the Ravens will again count on Bateman as their top Flowers sidekick.<\/p>\n

As we covered in our latest Trade Rumors Front Office piece, the Steelers have established a decades-long trend of not having two wideouts tied to lucrative contracts. Despite having no franchise-QB salary on their books, the Steelers agreed to part with Pickens for a package headlined by only a third-round pick. Pickens follows\u00a0Diontae Johnson<\/strong>,\u00a0Chase Claypool<\/strong>,\u00a0Martavis Bryant<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Santonio Holmes<\/strong>\u00a0as\u00a0Mike Tomlin<\/strong>-era receivers traded in a contract year. (Pittsburgh also traded\u00a0Antonio Brown<\/strong>, but he was not in a walk year in 2019.)<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh had effectively determined it would not extend Pickens, a player Dallas brass will now evaluate. Rather than having Bateman for two more seasons, the Cowboys have Pickens contracted for one and hold exclusive negotiating rights with him until March.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Cowboys\u2019 long-running search for an upper-crust No. 2 wide receiver appears to have ended with the\u00a0George Pickens\u00a0trade. Although Dallas does not have assurances Pickens\u00a0will be more… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":47090,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47089","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\nBREAKING: Cowboys Tried to Snatch Ravens Star WR Rashod Bateman in Bold Trade Attempt - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=47089\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"BREAKING: Cowboys Tried to Snatch Ravens Star WR Rashod Bateman in Bold Trade Attempt - 24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Cowboys\u2019 long-running search for an upper-crust No. 2 wide receiver appears to have ended with the\u00a0George Pickens\u00a0trade. 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