The Dallas Cowboys drag their feet to get contract extensions done with their best players, and defensive end Micah Parsons has finally had enough of their shenanigans. On Friday, he took to Twitter with a statement announcing he has formally asked for a trade.
Of course, the Cowboys, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic, made sure it got out that they have "no intention" to trade Parsons. They control his rights for the next three seasons, provided they choose to place the franchise tag on him twice.
It's patently unlikely Parsons gets traded. But if it gets to that point, the Cowboys can (and will) command a bounty in return for one of the best pass rushers in the NFL. Parsons is firmly in his prime at 26 years old.
There are fan bases out there who can dream of what Parsons would look like in their team's uniform, and Chicago Bears fans, in particular, can easily see shades of a similar move the team made to add a top-end edge rusher several years go.
Jon Machota, the Cowboys beat writer for The Athletic, rounded up the site's NFL staff for some potential trade proposals to land Parsons. Bears' beat writer Kevin Fishbain tapped into the notion Parsons could land in Chicago, with the following proposal.
Fishbain brought some logical context to the idea of the Bears striking a deal for Parsons, while harkening back to that edge rusher trade from several years ago.
"Tongue firmly planted in cheek here, especially with the specifics of this offer, because the salary-cap space isn’t in an ideal spot for this, but the synergy is too fun to ignore. The last time the Bears had a first-year head coach, second-year quarterback, veteran defense and coordinator and a general manager fresh off a contract extension, they traded for Khalil Mack. And that season is their only division title since 2010! This offer is the same as Mack, but the Bears get a fourth-round pick back instead of a second. Why not do it again? Well, a few reasons. They’ve already invested a lot of money in the defensive line (Montez Sweat, Dayo Odeyingbo and Grady Jarrett)."
"They could stand to be a little more patient and let QB Caleb Williams grow into this offense as opposed to forgoing so much draft capital to kick off the Ben Johnson era. Then again, if Johnson thinks they’re a Micah Parsons away …"
Beyond the Cowboys' level of willingness to seriously entertain trade offers, the primary barriers for any team to acquire Parsons are the contract he is in line to get and the cost in draft capital/players. The cap space front, as Fishbain and others have suggested upon offering them as a potential suitor, is the primary barrier for the Bears.
That said, climbing the standings in a tough NFC North will require some sacrifices and bold moves. This big potential move for the Bears is bolstered by a tie to the coaching staff. Defensive backs coach Al Harris had the same job with the Cowboys from 2020-2024.
Read more: PFF gives frank (and complete) assessment of Caleb Williams' rookie season
Fishbain's trade proposal, with the Day 3 draft picks going each way more or less a wash, boils down to the Bears parting with their next two first-round picks to get Parsons. That's not an insignificant price to pay, but that will be the price of poker here (if only hypothetically, until shown to be more than hypothetical).
