The shocking Micah Parsons trade is reminiscent of another blockbuster deal the Dallas Cowboys made over three decades ago.
Go all the way back to 1989. When Jerry Jones and the Cowboys traded running back Herschel Walker, at the peak of his career, to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for five players and six draft picks. The Cowboys would use their draft assets on players such as Emmitt Smith, Darren Woodson and Russell Maryland. The trade was genesis of their 90s dynasty. They would go on to win three Super Bowls in the decade.
The Cowboys haven’t sniffed a Super Bowl since. Not even an NFC championship game appearance.
Cowboys trade Micah Parsons to Packers in blockbuster
Perhaps Jones harken back to his gamble in 1989 that was paid off by Super Bowl jewelry before he greenlit Thursday’s trade that sent another franchise player packing.
The Cowboys got defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks in exchange for Parsons. Time will reveal the players the Cowboys get with their newly-acquired picks, though, they are expected to be late first-round selections because Parsons and the Packers should be good. Dallas could get a Hall of Famer out of the draft like Smith. Or Pro Bowl-caliber players similar to Woodson and Maryland.
But this trade doesn’t feel like it’ll yield the same results.
Parsons won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021, he’s a two-time first-team All-Pro and a four-time Pro Bowler, who at 26 years old might not even be in his prime yet.
Parsons produced 52.5 sacks in his first four seasons. He and Hall of Famer Reggie White are the only two players in NFL history to compile 12 or more sacks in their first four NFL seasons. The Cowboys defense ranked first in defensive EPA per play when Parsons was on the field since 2021. When Parsons wasn’t on the field, the Cowboys ranked last.
The Cowboys traded a generational defensive player in the aftermath of a 7-10 season.
Maybe the biggest loser in the trade is Dallas sports fans.
Within a calendar year, the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cowboys dealt Parsons to the Packers.
Micah Parsons trade grades: Who won deal between Packers, Cowboys?
Two franchise cornerstones in their respective sports and fan favorites are gone. Sorry Dallas sports fans.
The Mavs appear to have made out well from their trade, aided by the NBA draft lottery and subsequent No. 1 overall pick, Cooper Flagg. The Cowboys are to be determined. But Thursday’s blockbuster trade feels like a major step back for the Cowboys and a simultaneously signals a rebuild for the franchise.