FRISCO - Pretty much all along, Dallas Cowboys management has known what it was getting into with Micah Parsons. extension even clearer that it already was.
The "Lion-Backer'' wasted little time exhibiting the potential for greatness ... and has done it on the field as a perennial 12-sack performer and an overall dynamic stud that offenses must account for.
As he's built his resume, he's added statistical subtleties, too, like the fact that over the last two seasons he's been No. 1 in the NFL in pressure rate, pass-rush win rate and double-team rate.
He's a player who is now well-worth the new market of $40 million per year ... and as Jerry and Stephen Jones negotiated with Micah's reps, that is surely the number that is at the core.
Given that Dallas saw this coming all along - the big performances marrying the big money - there wouldn't seem to be much "new'' to debate here.
But ESPN's "Get Up'' is sometimes driven by drivel. Debates must occur. And the Cowboys must be featured.
So, on this show ...
-We have red-herring arguments that pit Dallas' willingness to pay Dak Prescott $60 million APY against Dallas' alleged unwillingness to pay Micah $40 million. ...
-We have made-up trades that would bring Dallas back a "king's ransom'' of three first-round picks.
-And - in a new wrinkle - we have a fresh update on the reason Dallas should move on from Micah rather than pay him.
Said panelist Tim Hasselbeck said. "Look, I think they're so far away from the other teams in their division that I think it's a very reasonable argument to say, ‘Look, why don't we do this? Why don't we move him and start the rebuild?
"‘Because we're really far from Jayden Daniels and the Commanders. We're really far from what Philadelphia is doing with Jalen Hurts and so a reset and a rebuild makes sense as well."
Hasselbeck, to his credit, isn't trolling here. But that doesn't mean he's making any sense.
Over the last 2 seasons Micah Parsons ranks...
1st in pressure rate
1st in pass rush win rate
1st in double team rate
You don't build a roster for short *or* long term success by moving on from players like that. https://t.co/I3tb7B4eN4
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) February 20, 2025
First off, Dallas is already in a "rebuild.''
Secondly, the Eagles of 2024 had the NFL's best roster ... so if Dallas is supposed to give up on being competitive with them, shouldn't most of the other 30 teams do the same?
The Eagles, Lions, Chiefs, Bills, Ravens and maybe the Commanders are true contenders. So Dallas and the other 26 teams should throw in the towel?
And finally, if there is a talent gap between the Cowboys and their competition (and there is), how is dumping a generational talent in the prime of his career the path to closing the gap?
If today Dallas traded Parsons and netted (realistically, per history) two first-round picks? The Cowboys would get one of them this year and one next year. That transaction would make the team worse in 2025 ... and maybe improved from there in 2026 if both first-round picks are home runs.
Oh, and by the way: Which picks are the Cowboys getting? Two top-10 picks? Two picks in the 20's? Where is the guarantee that such a move speeds a rebuild?
The Cowboys might move too slowly on some of these matters. But when it comes to generational superstars? They do move. They do sign them. Because they know what they're getting into once they draft and develop one of them.
Related: Cowboys Fans Get Bad News On Micah Parsons
Related: Jerry Jones' Cowboys Need These 4 More Moves, Insists NFL Insider
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This story was originally published March 20, 2025 at 5:02 AM.