It had been speculated for days and when it finally happened nearly every fan of the Dallas Cowboys shared the same reaction: Really, Jerry Jones, WTF are you doing?
In case you were in a coma yesterday prior to the 4 p.m. bombshell hitting, the Cowboys traded Micah Parsons.
That was bad enough. But they shipped him off to the Green Bay Packers, a team that has tormented Dallas over the last decade.
That is so much worse.
And just when you thought it had gotten about as bad as it could get, the Jones boys said “Hold my beer”, held a presser, and proceeded to make all of it so much worse.
The Deal
The Cowboys shipped their best defensive player, and the reason why they even have a pass rush, off to a team that they will play at home in the fourth week of the season.
They got back in return two first round picks (2026, 2027) and defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
Given the Packers’ current talent level, those two picks are likely to fall between 24 and 32. That’s assuming Dallas doesn’t try to package them in future deals.
The Reason
A little less than three hours after the trade news broke, Jerry Jones and his son, Stephen, appeared before reporters at The Star to lie their heads off answer questions.
Jerry Jones began the presser with a 10-minute rambling answer to the first question. He repeated his story about making an offer to Parsons in person.
And he repeated his clear disdain for working with Parsons’ agent to finalize a deal.
Apparently, he’ll go to his grave insisting that Parsons’ agent is to blame for the Cowboys losing their best pass rusher since DeMarcus Ware.
Everyone else on the planet knows the blame is fully on Jerry Jones. The delusional takes didn’t end there.
Jerry Jones tried to compare this trade to the 1989 Herschel Walker trade.
In the trade with Green Bay, Dallas got one player and two draft picks in return. Here is the haul from the Walker trade:
- LB Jesse Solomon
- LB David Howard
- CB Issiac Holt
- DE Alex Stewart
- Minnesota’s 1st round pick in 1990
- Minnesota’s 2nd round pick in 1990
- Minnesota’s 6th round pick in 1990
- Minnesota’s 1st round pick in 1991
- Minnesota’s 2nd round pick in 1991
- Minnesota’s 1st round pick in 1992
- Minnesota’s 2nd round pick in 1992 (condition met by trading away Darrin Nelson to San Diego)
- Minnesota’s 3rd round pick in 1992 (conditional on cutting Stewart)
Three of the players the Cowboys drafted with some of the picks above you ask?
- Emmitt Smith
- Darren Woodson
- Russell Maryland
Three Super Bowl wins later, the Cowboys had clearly won that trade. This trade isn’t going to lead to a 6th title.
The late first round draft picks will likely be as poorly chosen as the pick wasted in 2023 for Mazi Smith, the starting DT that Clark will likely be replacing in next week’s season opener.
Clark will be playing in his 10th year and has two years left on his contract, just like Parsons did.
The Running Man
In the presser, Jerry Jones stated they had improved the run defense with the trade. At least he finally acknowledged what the rest of us have known for years.
Dallas’ run defense is abysmal.
It still will be after this trade.
Only now, its pass rush has been diminished. So now, assuming they even get that far, the Cowboys won’t be able to stop the opposing offense no matter what play they call.
The Reactions
Personally, my take is that it was a very bad deal. And I have a sinking feeling that the Cowboys’ front office will further bungle it in future deals.
If they somehow retain the extra picks, they’ll probably just blow them on reach picks. The reactions among most of the fan base and the media that covers the team aren’t that much more optimistic.
Around the draft, just before and after, the Cowboys made moves that indicated they would make a playoff push.
One week before the regular season kicks off, the Dallas Cowboys just flushed all hope of a playoff run down the toilet.
a Dallas Cowboys fan, since the 70’s this just proves my point Jerry Jones is a senile, idiot and Jerry Jones has all the sports media groups fooled
The Boys and the media created the Parsons myth. Come on. As a journalist, this writer is not supposed to fall for the hype they create. Reality is Parsons NEVER led the league in sacks or even came close . Parsons is a moderately successful pass rusher given he has everything schemed to get him sacks. Then, Jerry and Parsons both scored as Parsons is wealthy and Jerry got 2 firsts and a needed player’ plus saved 47 million of cap and GB lost 47 of cap and gets a small edge player who gets a sack at 12/300 pass rushes rate. Parsons is also starting to degrade and edge is 100% about athletic ability. Great trade by Jerry!
Totally agree with the Cowboy “hype” machine. Case in point, Texans DE Danielle Hunter, who the same number of sacks for that four-year period, but 131 tackles vs Parson’s108. But where is this outrageous, crazy hype for him? No where, b/c he plays in Houston.
One of the most meaningful stats that most people don’t bring up is MP getting just ONE SACK in the biggest games of the year, the FOUR playoff games. Contrary to the sport MSM hysteria, IMHO this trade is debatable, and we may not see how it fully unfolds for a while.
But the pressure is now squarely on GB and MP to live up to that stupid money contract. And other teams may have gotten a little extra incentive when they play the Packers, b/c “superman” has a figurative target on his back now. And it’s not like other so called “superstars” have never been traded before. If teams can trade Joe Montana, the second-best QB of all time, or Reggie White, or Randy Moss, etc, then they can trade this guy.
Hopefully Cowboys will hit on those two first rounders.
Richard,
I normally agree with your takes on things, approximately 90% of the time, however this time I think you are off in your conclusions. “Me”cah Parson was always about…..Micah. It was Micah first and foremost. Several times over the years defensive players would complain about Micah not completing his responsibility in the scheme because it wasn’t “splashy”, DLaw and Hooker are two that come to mind. Add to that the sideline pouting during high stakes games, the petulant attitude shown before the camera multiple times and the constant criticism from teammates and the Front Office of his lack of leadership.
On top of that, good OC’s knew to scheme runs directly at Micah and wear him down. Yes, Micah got sacks and yes his and the NFL’s PR team elevated his worth, but as siempre said above, Micah was NOT the World Beater everyone seems to think. Often I would see him sacrifice setting the edge for looping around the tackle for a splash QB hit and/or sack only to have left a 5 yd wide gap for which the opposing RB said, “Thank you Mr. Narcissist”.
Very glad to see him go. Does he have talent, absolutely. But when you strip away the merits of his accolades gained against weak teams, you get a truer picture of what he is, a talented LB that eschews that position for the splashier DE and sack glory.
This does not in any form mean I support “Jerrah” and his silent partner, Ego, in their pursuit, intentional or not, of the longest Super Bowl drought in NFL history. Jerry worked himself into a corner with Dak’s stupid contract and now the chickens are coming home to roost.
Thank you for becoming a writer at Inside, I have always and will always eagerly look forward to seeing your by-line and the thoughts you are choosing to share!!
Sincerely,
JD
I don’t care how media plays it, this was a stupid move that big shot ringmaster had to win. That is what overblown ego’s do. Parsons was a big part of defensive success and when he was not in the game they had little defense. Yeah maybe that changes with some picks and the dt clark. But lets be real clear jones ain’t Jimmy and this is a minimal compensation trade that they may well blow anyway with their judgment of talent of late. Also the money they save matters little as they have proven an unwillingness to spend it. in this case the jones media circus marketing company wins for a time. But we may still wait a long time for a real football team to show up in dallas. Fan since 1960 when they were awarded the franchise……You know when it was all about football and we stuck with it thru thick and thin. Now you can just watch 3 stooges reruns instead