The Dallas Cowboys have a collection of boxes they are looking to check off on draft night, but many believe those are related to prospective draftees to fill their position holes.
Well, ESPN insider Bill Barnwell predicts the Cowboys to have something else in mind … a trade that would alter the state of the team immediately and for years to come.
The deal includes Micah Parsons, Dallas’ premier edge rusher who is in the midst of contract extension negotiations … and who many would say is an “untouchable” on the roster.
Barnwell suggests the Cowboys avoid Parsons’ impending mega-contract by trading him to the Atlanta Falcons in a 3-team deal on draft night.
Dallas would acquire the No. 2 pick (from Cleveland Browns), No. 15 pick, and a 2026 third rounder in exchange for the Cowboys’ No. 12 pick and a fourth-rounder next year.
What?
“The Cowboys find themselves in an impossible situation with their roster construction,” Barnwell says.
“The Cowboys have to figure out how to win with three players making more than $135 million per season, which is where they’ll be if they sign Parsons. If they couldn’t make a deep playoff run with Parsons and Lamb on rookie deals and Prescott making $40 million a year, how are they going to do it with all three making top-of-the-market salaries?”
The argument about the money is legit, especially given Dallas’ tardy performance in not getting Micah’s deal done by now.
The picture trying to be painted is that Dallas can skip out on Parsons’ contract by resorting to the Draft and picking the “next” Parsons at No. 2.
“There could be a chance for them to acquire the next Parsons on a rookie deal. It’s incredibly unrealistic to project Abdul Carter to turn into Parsons, but the former off-ball linebacker’s production exploded after being shifted to pass rusher,” Barnwell said.
Carter, another Penn State Nittany Lion, is looking like he’ll pan out to be an exceptional talent like Parsons … but remember, that is “incredibly unrealistic.”
The idea of trading him, though, doesn’t solve many other issues. Carter will join an even more new-look defense than when Parsons was around, and face expectations to turn into an All-Pro off the bat.
The Cowboys will benefit financially, but be left with a defense that is gambling on a rookie to fill yet another depth void.
Also problematic here: Dallas is basically getting one first-round pick (as 12 and 15 nearly offset).
And another, speaking of the money: Barnwell is talking in terms of salaries but ignoring the cap influence, with is far cheaper.
(How do other teams with multiple highly-paid players find a way to do so? It happens all the time, of course.)
And one more: Why, if all Dallas is really netting here is pick No. 2, does this need to be a 3-way trade – besides just adding to the clickbait kookiness, that is?
Simply put, hypothetical trades like this are classic rage bait that likely won’t happen on Jerry Jones’ watch … we hope.
Per CowboysCountry.com’s Mike Fisher, a deal with Parsons and the Cowboys is making steady progress after they “exchanged contract proposal numbers.”
So no need to fret, quite yet.
In the event of this trade, it would be easy to imagine how Cowboys Nation would react if Dallas gave up a 25-year-old franchise cornerstone.
Many fans still have sore wounds from a move like already – in basketball, of course.
