At a time when every other team in the league was finalizing and fortifying its roster, Jones substantially weakened the roster in Dallas.
DALLAS — Super Bowls are won with elite talent. The Cowboys have not had enough of that in decades. They have less now with the Micah Parsons trade.
Team owner and General Manager Jerry Jones has often stated that nobody can imagine the massive check he would write to win another Super Bowl. But what if that’s not what’s required of Jones for the Cowboys to be world champions? What if he had to relinquish his coveted role as GM? That seems to be where he draws the line.
His performance in that capacity is being scrutinized again. At a time when every other team in the league was finalizing and fortifying its roster, Jones substantially weakened the roster in Dallas.
Exactly one week before Brian Schottenheimer’s head-coaching debut against the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles, Jones made a historic personnel move, trading the team’s premier defensive player to the NFC rival Packers.
The Cowboys became the biggest underdogs of Week 1 following the Parsons trade. Updated betting odds have dropped the Cowboys’ projected 2025 win total to 7.5 games since the Parsons trade.
Schottenheimer says his goals haven’t changed. His ability to achieve them have diminished.
Playmakers win games, and Parsons is a playmaker who affects opposing quarterbacks. The only thing more valuable is a franchise quarterback. The argument about whether Dallas has that persists.
It’s no coincidence that the Cowboys went 12-5 three straight years after Parsons was drafted 12th overall. The Cowboys allowed the second-most points in the NFL last season, and that was with Parsons for 13 games.
The Cowboys acquired two first-round draft choices and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. Before playing a down in Green Bay, the Packers signed Parsons to a contract making him the richest non-quarterback in NFL history.
This is an unprecedented move for Jones. Never before have the Cowboys traded such an elite young player at a position of high value. Through four seasons Parsons is on a Hall of Fame trajectory. Parsons and Reggie White are the only player in NFL history to have at least 12 sacks in each of their first four seasons. Despite that, Parsons didn’t get a second contract from Jones. Even Jerry’s ride-or-die Michael Irvin declared it a “crazy, dumb move.”
Instead, Herschel Walker, Steve Walsh and Parsons represent the only times the Cowboys traded an individual player for a package including a first-round draft choice since Jones became the franchise owner in 1989.
Yet Jones described it as a unanimous personnel decision among members of the front office and coaching staff. He explained it was a trade that improves the team’s immediate prospects and its future.
“My mirror is saying, ‘Come on, let’s change something up. Let’s do something a little different here,'” Jones said, who had a sudden and untimely epiphany about the importance of run defense. “Well, how about Brian Schottenheimer? How about loading up with some resources called cap room and draft picks?
“And how about bringing on those kinds of changes? How about philosophically doing our defense a little different? How about bringing in some better blocking on the offensive line? We have done all that and this is part of that.”
The Cowboys have the second-most cap space in the league and are the only team with multiple first-round picks in both of the next two NFL drafts.
As for how the trade is perceived around the league, one NFL front-office executive told me, “Two late- round picks is risky but it is valuable. And Kenny Clark is a good player still! So I didn’t hate the trade for Dallas! I loved the win for Green Bay! They get a freak of a player and they didn’t mind paying for it! Not many teams would put that kind of money out there. GB is going for it! The locker room effect (for Dallas) is real!’’
While in the aftermath it has become evident that Parsons was not universally beloved, the timing of the trade could be interpreted by players as Jones lacking confidence in their ability to contend this season.
“Dallas should have made this move prior to the eve of the season,’’ an AFC GM said. “(It) sends bad vibes thru the locker room. This move should’ve been done in the spring if they were willing to move Parsons.’’
This is the first time the Cowboys traded any individual player in a package that included a first-round pick since sending backup quarterback Steve Walsh to the Saints in 1990 for first-, second- and third-rounds picks.
Whether the Cowboys were justified and made a favorable trade will be determined years from now. Final judgments will come after Cowboys exercise picks and we see quality of players and contributions to team. Interestingly, the Packers’ first-round pick has been in the 20s or 30s in 13 of the past 16 drafts.
“They did the best they could under the circumstances,’’ an AFC GM said. “Ideally, if you do this in the spring, (you) might be able to create a bidding war with an established price and get the best compensation possible.’’
I contacted seven NFL general managers _ four of whom won a Super Bowl in that capacity _ and front-office executives for their initial opinions of the trade and which team seemed most likely to win the transaction. Their insights were fascinating. Some seemed to have doubts about Parsons as a foundational player for a championship-level team.
“It’s definitely a short-term win for Green Bay. They get the player and therefore don’t lose anything until next April,’’ one AFC GM said. “Parsons can be a game- wrecker, but has he shown he can elevate the team as well? Can’t say I have seen that. When has Dallas been a team that people feared playing? To pay a guy north of $45M a year that at times does his own things comes with its own set of risks.’’
One general manager shared that they haven’t seen Parsons dominate except in obvious pass-rush situations. “He is a beast when it is easy to predict a pass coming,’’ he said.
“Feels like a win for Green Bay as odds are that they will pick late,’’ another NFC GM said. “It seems like two second-rounders and a solid interior player (Kenny Clark). Huge character risk bringing someone in that you don’t really know and making him your highest-paid player.’’
Acquiring an elite pass-rusher was been proven a successful Super Bowl formula. Remember Reggie White in Green Bay, Charles Haley in Dallas, Demarcus Ware in Denver and Von Miller in LA.
The downward spiral began when Jones believed he successfully negotiated directly with Parsons a five-year contract extension when they met in his office at The Star in the spring. Jones insisted he modified his proposal numerous times in subsequent phone calls with Parsons and eventually involved EVP Stephen Jones. Jones then refused to involve agent David Mulugheta, who represents Parson and his described as the first agent to negotiation $1 billion in NFL contracts in a single season.
Throughout the offseason and training camp Jones held firm in his believe that Parsons reneged on the contract they negotiated directly and by holding in the player was failing to honor the fifth-option the Cowboys had exercised in his rookie contract. Ultimately they were unconvinced about the back injury Parsons cited and feared might leverage that into justification for not playing while being paid over $1M weekly.
As for Parsons, he seemed disinclined to miss game checks for an owner who stubbornly refused to perform the customary task of calling his agent – something the Cowboys have done in virtually every player negotiation, including those for Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Ezekiel Elliott and Zack Martin. Among that collection, only Prescott and Parsons reported to camp, although Parsons didn’t practice.
The Cowboys had seen the Mulughetta game plan when Jacksonville Jalen Ramsey requested a trade, cited a back injury to protect his income while being paid for three games missed and leveraged a trade to the Rams.
Jones had lost too many recent contract negotiations and was determined to prevail this time He had leverage, and he wasn’t letting Parsons take it once the season began.
Like the Cowboys with Parsons, the Browns, Bengals and Commanders all endured a contract dispute with a prominent player that resulted in a contentious situation where the player eventually requested a trade.
The Cowboys were the only one of those teams to end the drama by trading the player. The others _ Myles Garrett, Trey Hendrickson and Terry McLaurin _ all agreed to contract extensions. Only Dallas resolved the drama by moving on from the player.
Should the Cowboys be the exception?
Parsons said he never wanted or expected to leave Dallas. In fact, as the negotiation was approaching its conclusion, Parsons requested the Cowboys re-engage with him even while aware of the record-setting contract Green Bay offered. Jones’ response was to tell him to prepare to play against the Eagles on his fifth-year option.
While Jones has often cited his comfort with ambiguity, this demanded a resolution. So while the timing was bad for Schottenheimer and the team with the season about to begin, Jones made it one less crisis his rookie coach would have to manage this season.
Of course, there are tradeoffs. Four head coaches in Cowboys history have reached the playoffs in their first year with the team. Two of them __ Barry Switzer and Chan Gailey _ did so without previous NFL head-coaching experience. Schottenheimer, through no fault of his own, seems less likely to put his name on that list.
Last year, Jones refused to invest in his roster, failing to replace players lost in free agency and then forced Mike McCarthy and his coaching staff __ Schottenheimer included _ to work the final year of their contracts. That is an unusual approach with a Super Bowl-winning head coach. Like those decisions, the Parsons trade increases the difficulty for Schottenheimer.
Tom Landry inherited an expansion team and finished 0-11-1 in his first season. Jimmy Johnson inherited a 3-13 team and endured a 1-15 rookie season. Schottenheimer takes over a 7-10 team without its most and perhaps only feared defensive player in what seems a rebuilding project.
“I think it’s a good trade for the Cowboys,’’ an NFC GM said. “They can get four good players with the $47 million (in cap space) and two first- round picks. Plus Kenny Clark. It’s only a good trade for the Packers if they make it to the Super Bowl. They were already a playoff team. The media and fans want us to pay every player, but we have a cap. You have to build the entire roster.’’
“I think it was a win-win for both organizations,” a third NFC GM said. “Green Bay got a great player, and Dallas got great value for untenable situation.’’
Jones expressed no regrets about what transpired with Parsons that culminated in the trade with the Packers.
He’s willing to own it, convinced the outcome will prove beneficial.
“You’re asking if I have regrets? No, I don’t regret that at all,’’ he said. “I’m very, very excited at the prospects of what we’ve done for the Cowboys here. … We got what we wanted. I had total control in having it the other way if I wanted.”