Jerry Jones slammed the door on trading Micah Parsons within the division, and while the team had hoped to send him outside the conference, traction did not pick up on such a deal. Thus, the Packers blockbuster that sent Kenny Clark and two first-rounders to the Cowboys for the All-Pro edge rusher.
The Eagles are believed to have made the top offer for Parsons, according to Fox’s Jay Glazer, who indicates the defending Super Bowl champions offered two first-round picks, a third-rounder, a fifth and other unspecified assets in an attempt to convince the Cowboys to deal within the NFC East. As could be expected, this bid did not advance far. The Panthers joined the Eagles in pursuing Parsons, though the Carolina offer was clearly not where Green Bay’s ended up going. Clark’s presence played a major role in closing the deal.
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Jones said during a 105.3 The Fan appearance (via ESPN.com’s Todd Archer) the Cowboys made no counteroffer to the Eagles’ proposal. Considering the Glazer-reported hesitancy about trading Parsons in-conference — something Jones himself did not indicate was part of this process — it would have been shocking to see Parsons traded to Philly. The Eagles are counting on 2024 third-round pick Jalyx Hunt to replace Josh Sweat alongside Nolan Smith, but the team is also playing without the retired Brandon Graham to open the season.
The Cowboys did receive interest from some AFC teams, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. The Bills, Colts and Patriots made calls on Parsons, but it does not appear any of these talks progressed too far. Each team was told two first-rounders and a “significant” player would be the baseline trade package. With a record-setting extension also essentially a requirement in this deal, it does not appear any major traction with an AFC team ensued. This surprised the Cowboys, per Glazer.
It is likely more interest from the AFC would have come out had the Cowboys truly shopped Parsons this offseason. The team only internally discussed moving him before the draft; no outside talks took place at that point. Still trying to extend the impact pass rusher at that stage, the Cowboys belatedly pivoted as the relationship deteriorated. Though, Glazer reports Dallas made the decision it would trade Parsons around a week before the deal ultimately went down. This would mean the team was prepared to move on before Parsons’ actions during the team’s final preseason game.
Still, Jones needed staffers to convince him to finally move on, according to Russini. As of mid-August, teams were not convinced Parsons was truly on the table. It looks like it took an effort to sway Jones, who had initially told Cowboys supporters not to lose sleep over Parsons’ trade request. But no resumption of negotiations took place. Jones dug in on the informal talks he had with Parsons this offseason. That effort to go around agent David Mulugheta did not sit well with Parsons, Mulugheta or the NFLPA. The team ended up telling Parsons, who had attempted to relaunch negotiations just before the season, to either play on his fifth-year option or be dealt.
Regarding Jones’ effort to negotiate directly with Parsons, the formerly disgruntled D-end believed the owner steered a conversation about leadership toward contract talks, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Don Van Natta Jr. report. While Parsons initially told Jones to talk to Mulugheta about the contract matter, the player contacted COO Stephen Jones later that day (March 18) to have him up the team’s offer. Parsons asked for “several different elements and increases.”
Mulugheta labeled it “unfair” to ask Parsons to both be a dominant NFL defender and be a great lawyer when it comes to negotiating, and interim NFLPA leader David White said he contacted Jerry Jones about directly negotiating with players tied to agents. Parsons’ agency never saw the terms from the direct Jones-Parsons negotiations, per Fowler and Van Natta.
The Cowboys insist they offered more in guaranteed money, but Dallas was believed to have proposed a five-year extension. Considering the cap increases to commence during this CBA, Parsons viewed — as Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb had before him — that as a too long of a commitment. The Cowboys also are believed to have “heavily” backloaded the deal — one worth $40.5MM per year — and Russini adds only one year of the contract was guaranteed.
This presumably means fully guaranteed, as Jerry Jones had previously informed Michael Irvin he offered Parsons a deal that contained the highest guarantee of any non-QB. The Packers’ willingness to fully guarantee $120MM at signing — well out of character from a team that typically offers non-QBs signing bonus-only guarantee structures — likely differs from the full guarantee in the Cowboys’ proposal. In terms of total guarantees (which cover injury guarantees or triggers that vest later), it is not unreasonable to view Dallas as beating Green Bay’s extension offer — particularly since it was a five-year proposal.
The Cowboys also received the impression, after no extension was reached in March, Parsons wanted to do his deal after the Steelers locked down T.J. Watt, according to Fowler and Van Natta. His initial negotiation with Jerry Jones occurred shortly after the Myles Garrett deal, helping explain the $40.5MM-AAV offer (as Garrett is signed to a $40MM-per-year Browns extension).
Understandably, Parsons believed he would “blow away” the deals given to Watt and Garrett due to being more than three years younger than either future Hall of Famer. The Packers’ four-year, $186MM proposal — which reset the EDGE market by more than $5MM per year — proved him accurate there.
Dallas, which is now considering Jadeveon Clowney to help its post-Parsons pass rush, drafted 2024 Division I-FBS sack leader Donovan Ezeiruaku in Round 2. That marked the third time in four years the Cowboys used a second-round pick on a defensive end (after choosing Sam Williams in 2022 and Marshawn Kneeland last year). The Cowboys did not view the Ezeiruaku pick as Parsons insurance, per Fowler and Van Natta, as the plan at the time was to have the Boston College product develop as a Parsons sidekick.
While Prescott had said he was surprised by the trade, Fowler and Van Natta add the DE’s behavior during training camp — when he staged a de facto hold-in while using a back injury — rubbed many staffers and players the wrong way. Parsons’ energy during camp was “deflating,” per the ESPN duo. However, Trevon Diggs said (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota) he did not believe any Cowboys players had an issue with Parsons.
Playing only 45% of the Packers’ defensive snaps in his debut, Parsons registered his first sack with his new team in a dominant home win over the Lions. It was believed Parsons was still dealing with the back injury ahead of Week 1, but he is not in danger of missing Week 2 (a Thursday-night assignment against the Commanders) on short rest. While the Cowboys attempt to replace Parsons, the Packers will attempt to unleash the well-paid trade asset in the weeks to come. Though, the fallout from this megadeal figures to last years in Dallas and Green Bay.
Imagine the what the bidding war would have been if they hadn’t waited until the edge rusher market got pushed up and teams hadn’t already committed their budgets, cap space, and draft picks.
Micah did them no favor by asking for a trade or requesting $50 million per year
Jerry Jones blew it by not making it known in February Parsons was possibly available for Trade. Can anyone imagine at least 6 teams bidding against each other? The trade package would have been very special.
I think he assumed he was going to make a needless circus out of playing chicken and still get it done like he usually does. I certainly did.
I feel exactly the same… I thought we’d all be saying, “yawn, same old same old” just before the first game. Using the reported Eagles offer as a baseline, I can’t even imagine what a properly-timed bidding war could have netted the Cowboys.
More teams, and pre-draft. A quasi-contender like the Jaguars would’ve opened the bidding with this year’s overall #2. That’s a heck of a downpayment.
The Jags would have had the #5 pick. They traded for #2 on draft day. Parsons would have been traded before the draft in this hypothetical where Jerry Jones has a functional brain.
Yea…Jerry really thought Micah was gonna sign his offer of 5 years 40 mill 180 mill guaranteed(not sure if it was that high)…
Or I’m sure they would have put him on the “Trading Block” (to use fantasy lingo)..a lot sooner…most likely before the draft in April…
The picks would have been more then Two 1st and most likely from a Non-Contender which means top 5 top 10 pick in those years…
Plus a Young All pro player in a position of need…maybe Two!
In a “Bidding War” for a player the offers get outrageous…especially a player like Micah.
I was shocked the Cowboys got what they got for Micah a week before the season started…
Only because there was basically no Bidding War and a Short amount of time to get deals done…
Extremely pleased as a Cowboys fan but will always wonder “What If” Jerry started the process waaay earlier…
Jerrah – Packers fans everywhere would like to thank you. You beautifully, stupid, egotistical moron. 😂🧀🤝
Super fun to think about him in Buffalo – but its the right move to pass.
I wouldn’t trade Ed Oliver and 2 firsts for him. The bills need someone big time on D, but that price was too steep. I was secretly rooting for maxx crosby. His deal looks almost cheap after the parsons deal.
Wait a sec-now, I of course believe that Jones blew it by extending Parsons earlier (between he, Prescott, and Lamb, I think that I’d have traded the WR in Lamb, personally), but if Parsons was so upset (rightfully) at Jerry trying to negotiate around Mulugheta, then why did he himself contract Stephen Jones to negotiate? That detail seems relevant to me.
Jerry of course waited too long and shot himself in the foot by not swallowing his pride and talking to Mulugheta, but if Parsons also was doing the same with ownership, it seems much less impactful. One’s for sure, and it sounds odd to say it, but I think that I’d feel most badly for Mulugheta. All of the parties were apparently trying to go around him the entire charade.
On the other hand, he’s getting a percentage of the Parsons deal and he also has a percentage of the Deshaun Watson contract, so I think he’ll be just fine.
Of course, Mulugheta’s had maybe the most successful run of any NFL agent in the last five years.
That said, I’m sure that he’s thrilled to finally be done with this negotiation.
Absolutely. A few years back, I was interested in buying an apartment. I was acquainted with the owner, who was looking to sell. Seemed like we got pretty close to making a deal without brokers getting involved. Then monkey wrench after monkey wrench, with some weird bad faith comments on the other side. That person has still not sold that apartment–I was dealing with a questionably stable person who probably didn’t want to just get things done in a normal way. Then when I bought my current apartment the brokers were amused that I found the process so easy (it’s New York, so it was still a handful, but within reason). I’m guessing Mulugheta feels the same relief at dealing with actual GMs.
Oof, you never said before that you were acquainted with Jerry Jones!
The bottom line is this: If Jerry Jones had signed Dak and CD Lamb with more urgency and on an expedited basis, like every other GM in the league would have, he would have had the money available to sign Parsons as well. But instead, he played games, and delayed until it cost more.
100% self-inflicted damage.
lol Packer fans think this is a SB team now . Favre had White for 7 years and won 1 SB . Rodgers had hmmm Matthews and won 1 SB . Favre and Rodgers are in a different universe than Love is . Prescott, CD Lamb and Parsons never made it to the SB . What makes you think GB will ? Enjoy trying to sign 18 players over the next 2 years and in cap hell . What a gigantic mistake to sign Love to all that money and years ….
You’re beyond clueless. But it makes everyone smile that this trade alone has made the next fu e years of your preferred entertainment that unenjoyable. Worth every penny already.
Was that the best offer though? Philly’s two first round picks would likely be at the very end of the round, reducing their value. Kenny Clark > a third and a fifth. “Other unspecified assets” probably means a sixth or lower or it would have been reported in that package … I’m not arguing that Jerry Jones got a good deal. I’m just saying claiming that package is better than Green Bay’s doesn’t pass the smell test.
“Unspecified assests” seems to me like it would be a player or players. No need to put the players name out there considering they weren’t traded
Exactly….Good Luck payhing just a 3rd and 5th to move up even 4-5 spots in the 1st round…much less twice. Also “Oher Assets” is something Dallas got. Unless you know that they were…it could be less than the “Other Assets” they got from GB.
The City of Dallas is bad at trading their players away.
2024 Jerry Jones paid cowboy cheerleaders $15/hr 🖕