​The Dallas Cowboys remained true to their word, and now the window is officially closed until January. Dallas made it very clear this past spring that they would not be engaging in long-term contract negotiations with George Pickens this offseason, and on Wednesday the deadline passed on the option. The NFL has a self-imposed July 15 deadline, after which teams who have a player under the franchise tag can no longer negotiate long-term deals. As of 4 pm Eastern time, the option is now off the table.As there’s zero chance the Cowboys are going to give Pickens a raise at this point, the fifth-year wideout is set to earn $27.3 million in salary; a mountain in comparison to what he earned across the four seasons of his second-round rookie contract signed with his original team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. And with that, Phase No. 3 of the Cowboys acquisition of Pickens is now complete. On to Phase No. 4.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFirst was the initial acquisition, sending a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick to acquire the former University of Georgia star. Next was getting him an opportunity to perform with a top-tier quarterback like Dak Prescott, unleashing a 1,400-yard, nine-score seasons. The third phase was slapping the franchise tag on Pickens, effectively using the same tool as a fifth-year option that is often placed on first-round draft picks.On a recent appearance on Crown Global Media’s Doing Alright podcast, NFL beat writer Jane Slater stated multiple times, the thing that gave the Cowboys pause in hitching their wagons was the breaking of team rules during their trip to face the Las Vegas Raiders, and the fact that he roped in the player whom they already paid the big contract to, CeeDee Lamb.The pause had the Cowboys do a smart thing, placing the non-exclusive tag on Pickens and having the rest of the league prove to the player and his agent that his reputation was still in play. His performance on its own would’ve validated a team agreeing to a deal with Pickens and offering the Cowboys high-pedigree trade compensation, but no offers came.Certainly, there were teams that would’ve paid the money by itself, but the trade kicker was too much, giving the Cowboys the upper hand for these next few phases.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Cowboys have as much contractual control over Pickens they could want and can keep Pickens on the roster for several years at less than market value.Combined with his $3.6 million price tag last season, the Cowboys got two years of All-Pro receiver play (projecting a similar output in 2026) for a third-round pick and $15.5 million a season.That Average Annual Value (AAV) would rank 29th among NFL wideouts if it were a two-year deal. Even adding in a second tag in 2027, which would be for 120% or $32.8 million, Pickens would still be far below the current going rate. $63.7 million across three years is still just a $21.2 million AAV.That’s still outside the Top 20 of current wideout av