Cowboy Roundup: George Pickens on contract talks, Caelen Carson's opportunity

Happy Saturday, Dallas Cowboys Nation. The final weekend of the NFL regular season officially kicks off in the afternoon, with the Cowboys' season finale one day away.

While the Cowboys have been eliminated from playoff contention, we will get an opportunity to see some of the team's younger players get a chance to shine, especially in the backfield.

On Friday afternoon, the team officially ruled out star running back Javonte Williams and rising backup Malik Davis, so all signs point to rookies Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah getting the chance to lead the backfield.

MORE: Cowboys officially rule out 5 players for Week 18, including breakout star

Blue has had a rough rookie campaign, with several weeks as a healthy scratch, so Week 18 could play a large part on whether the team continues to give him an oppurtinity into the future or whether they choose to pull the plug on the experiment.

Dallas Cowboys running back Jaydon Blue carries the ball against the Atlanta Falcons at AT&T Stadium. | Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

Mafah, meanwhile, has spent the season on injured reserve, but could be activated in time for kickoff.

While we wait to see what the remaining hours leading up to kickoff bring for Dallas, let's take a spin around the web and check out some of the news and headlines making waves online and across social media.

MORE: Cowboys-Giants announcer pairing & assignment for Week 18 has Dallas legend on call

George Pickens speaks on contract talks

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens warms up before a game against the Minnesota Vikings at AT&T Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

George Pickens is set to be the top free agent on the open market in the offseason. While signs point toward the Cowboys using the franchise tag to buy some time in contract negotiations, Pickens is "super prepared" for what he expects to come.

“Super prepared,” Pickens said, via CBS Sports. “I definitely leave that type of stuff to my agent because I let them [Mulugheta and Jones] talk the deals, and all that stuff but definitely super prepared.”

MORE: Brian Schottenheimer shares massive shortcoming that kept Cowboys from NFL playoffs

Caelen Carson's big opportunity

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Caelen Carson stands at the line of scrimmage against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Cowboys second-year cornerback Caelen Carson is excited for the opportunity to have some much-needed playing time in the team's season finale.

“My approach has always been the same,” Carson said, per the Dallas Morning News. “I just really keep my head down and work. You never know what could happen.”

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