Prior to the opening of the NFL’s free agency frenzy, Cowboys’ linebacker Micah Parsons was not happy. He sounded off about the decision to trade Amari Cooper last year. A sentiment shared by many Dallas fans we might add.
Then came the trade of Jalen Ramsey to Miami for a third-round pick and a throwaway tight end. I’m pretty sure Micah was speaking for all of us with that tweet.
Although there was never a chance Ramsey would approve a trade to Dallas.
For those not in the know, Ramsey was not happy that Dallas took Ezekiel Elliott with the fourth pick instead of himself. Ramsey went to the Jaguars on the very next pick. A review of that draft seems to support Ramsey.
Had Dallas taken him with their first-round pick, they could have taken Derrick Henry in the second round. Instead they selected Jaylon Smith, who didn’t even play that year and is no longer on the team.
What might have been with Ramey patrolling the defensive backfield and Derrick Henry chewing up yardage on offense?
For the better part of a day, it seemed like Dallas was doing everything it could to chase Parsons away when his contract expires.
What a difference a day makes
Suddenly, it seemed like the Cowboys’ front office suddenly discovered that free agency was open. Miraculously, they managed to keep both Defensive Back Donovan Wilson and Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch.
(In the interest of full disclosure I didn’t see a pathway for them to pull that off. So, hat tip to the Jones boys where due.)
Both moves drew praise from the team’s defensive leader on Twitter, here for LVE (the tweet about Wilson’s re-signing has disappeared).
When Dallas struck a deal with Indianapolis to land defensive back Stephon Gilmore, Parsons had clearly ascended to paradise with his tweet (Warning: He unloads a happy F-bomb) welcoming Gilmore to the team.
Like the rest of Cowboys’ fandom, Parsons is in a much better place regarding the team’s defense with these moves.
Whether Dallas addresses the need for another linebacker or a run-stopper on the defensive line via free agency, trade or the draft remains to be seen.
But more importantly, with Parsons’ contract ending in 2024, the Cowboys may have made the bigger move: Getting Parsons to re-sign and stay in Dallas. His impact on defense is irreplaceable right now.
His ability to recruit free agents is also a factor that shouldn’t be underestimated. Especially since the Cowboys now must turn their attentions toward the offense.
Parsons Plays Recruiter
Parsons has been openly recruiting Arizona Cardinals Wide Receiver, DeAndre Hopkins. Given this exchange on Twitter, it seems Hopkins is certainly interested.
It remains to be seen if the Cowboys have the pieces, or the desire, to pull the trigger on a deal like this. Personally, I’d rather land Hopkins than OBJ, so like Parsons, I’m all for it but there might be cheaper options out there.
If Hopkins somehow dons the Blue Star helmet this fall, we can only imagine what Parsons’ Twitter feed is going to look like.
The good news is, after this week, it’ll be all Cowboys for a few years to come.