How Does Cowboys Franchise Tagging George Pickens Impact Patriots?

The Dallas Cowboys franchise tagged George Pickens on Friday, taking him off the open market, and it slightly impacts the New England Patriots.

Depending on how things unfold with Stefon Diggs, the Patriots could have been paying close attention to the wide receiver market in free agency. If they are unable to restructure Diggs’ deal, he would be a strong candidate to be cut if the Patriots felt they could adequately replace him.

Now, with a premier target off the board, the receiver market could get tougher for the Patriots to attack if they move on from Diggs. Pickens being tagged guarantees the Cowboys hold his rights through next season, and any team that wants him will need to trade for him. The Cowboys’ decision could have a domino effect on the entire market, perhaps forcing the Patriots to come to a resolution with Diggs.

Once again, the Patriots would need to replace Diggs if they released him. Pickens was a player who could have done that, but even if the Patriots did not want to go after him, the teams that planned to will now have their sights set on players the Patriots may have been targeting.

The Patriots have money to spend, but competition in the market could price them out of spending on a receiver. For example, if the Patriots had their sights set on Alec Pierce, and another team was focused on Pickens, the second team would now likely get more aggressive in their pursuit of Pierce.

The Patriots have needs outside of receiver, so spending big on a player to replace Diggs is not out of the question. However, the more limited their options are, the less likely they are to land an elite player.