Micah Parsons is no longer a Dallas Cowboy, and this entire situation could have been avoided.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Parsons was sent to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for two future first-round draft picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
The trade package was not nearly enough compensation in exchange for one of the best players in the NFL.
Parsons has already established himself as a top 10 defensive player in the league, with the expectation that a trade would fetch far more than just two first-round picks and one player.
For context, multiple players have been traded in exchange for more compensation over the past few years, and each of those trades was to acquire a player who is considered less talented than Parsons.
Players such as Jamal Adams, Jay Cutler, Ricky Williams, and Trey Lance were each traded for similar or more draft capital.
While some of those players put together impressive NFL careers during their time in the league, none of them can control a game in the same way as Parsons.
Dallas could have easily announced that trade proposals were available to be heard, which would have fetched the team far more than just two picks and a player for arguably the best young defensive lineman in the league.
Granted, opposing teams likely would not have been able to come to a contract agreement with Parsons, but allowing multiple teams to negotiate could have assisted both sides in the process.
There were only a few teams with the necessary salary cap space to acquire Parsons in a trade, but holding trade discussions with multiple teams could have forced the Packers to increase their trade offer.
The worst part about this trade is that the entire saga could have been resolved early in the offseason, with Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones admitting during a news conference that the team could have signed him early in the process.
“I really like Micah. I appreciate the four years we had him here. He’s a great player. No question, I could have signed him in April,” Jones said.
“This was by design. I did make Micah an offer, and it wasn’t acceptable, and I honored the fact that it wasn’t done how he wanted through an agent.”
The Cowboys’ owner reportedly refused to negotiate a contract with Persons’ agent, leading to a messy offseason and a disappointing outcome.
Negotiating a contract with a player who does not have their agent present is a violation of the league’s collective bargaining agreement.
Jerry and Stephen Jones framed this trade as a win-now move, stating during the conference that it would benefit the franchise both now and in the future.
“Without being too broad, obviously, we did think it was in the best interest of our organization. Not only the future, but right now. This season as well,” said Jerry.
The only issue with that statement is that Parsons is an objectively better player than Clark, which is not a knock against the defensive tackle in any way.
During his four years in Dallas, the Cowboys ranked first in the league in expected points added (EPA) when Parsons was on the field; however, that EPA ranking drops off a cliff to 32nd in the league when he was not, according to ESPN.
Meanwhile, Parsons finished the 2024 season with an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 90.0 to rank as the sixth-best overall defensive end in the league.
This ranking consists of a 91.6 pass rush rating, which ranked fourth among defensive ends, and a 65.5 rating against the run, which ranked 72nd among players at his position.
For comparison, Clark finished the year with an overall rating of 59.3, which ranked 85th among defensive tackles in the league, including a pass rush rating of 63.1 and a run defense rating of 57.1.
Neither of these finishes was good enough to place Clark inside the top 70 at his position.
Again, Clark is a solid player who can step in and contribute to the Cowboys this season, but he is not nearly as talented as Parsons.
In all likelihood, Dallas could choose to move on from Clark after this season for salary cap purposes, meaning his acquisition could quickly become meaningless within the next two years.
The Cowboys could have one of the worst defensive units in the entire NFL without Parsons.
This team is already dealing with significant injury concerns on the defensive side of the ball, with multiple defensive backs continuing to recover from longstanding injuries or dealing with new injuries that have emerged in recent months.
Dallas will also enter the season with major concerns along the defensive line, regardless of any potential injuries that may occur.
Prior to the trade, the Cowboys still had concerns about the defensive unit, but those question marks were often offset by the franchise having the best player on the field at any given moment. This will no longer be the case moving forward.
Simply put, this trade could be considered a disaster for the Cowboys.