The Dallas Cowboys started their early-season practice on June 1 and are going to hold six OTAs this spring. However, what caught everyone's eye was the absence of their wide receiver, George Pickens. With his absence, Pickens made it quite clear that he was unhappy with the lack of a long-term deal.

Pickens had quite a season for the Cowboys last year. He got a career-high 93 catches for 1,429 yards last season. As usual, he expected his performance would be rewarded appropriately, but what he got in return was a franchise tag worth 27.3 million dollars.

On Tuesday, June 9, the Cowboys held their second and final OTAs practice open to the media, and Pickens was not there. In that way, the team hasn’t seen him since they signed the franchise tag on April 29, making his stance crystal clear.

His absence came on the heels of Stephen Jones' remarks that Dallas intends to keep Pickens and is not working toward a long-term agreement at this time.

However, according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, since Pickens has already signed on the dotted line, he has lost leverage.

"If he’d planned to miss the minicamp to make a statement, the common-sense route to take would have been to not sign the tender until after the minicamp was complete, because then, Pickens wouldn’t be subject to fines for missing it," said Breer.

Now, if Pickens chooses to remain absent from the mandatory camp, it will cut his earnings. From $17,986 on Day 1 to $35,973 on Day 2 and $53,952 on Day 3, totalling $107,911. Although it would account for only a small portion of his overall earnings, the sum would still be significant.

Despite Pickens being a "no-show" at the voluntary training sessions, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer is optimistic that the wide receiver will show up when the main camp starts.

Dallas Head Coach Convinced About Seeing George Pickens At Mandatory Minicamp

Speculation is already doing the rounds about Pickens' intentions of showing up for the mandatory training camps, starting June 16. Many think that the wide receiver might skip it altogether, but not coach Schottenheimer.

The Dallas head coach openly shared his thoughts to Mauricio Rodriguez of  A to Z Sports.

"I’m thrilled when George comes walking through these doors, hopefully next week, and I expect to see him next week," said Schottenheimer, "What he can do for this football team on the field is unmatched in a lot of regards. But I’m really excited to see the step he takes from a leadership and influence standpoint".

However, the coach is cautious and does not want Pickens to go at full speed from day one.

As things stand, there is a good possibility of Pickens turning up for mandatory training. If not, we will have to understand that he is still not happy with the franchise tag he received. Though that absence will come at a price.

What are your thoughts on Pickens' absence from the voluntary mini camp? Share your thoughts.

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Written by

Sourav Ganguly

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar