Brian Schottenheimer puts the ball in Micah Parsons' court with latest comments ahead of Dallas Cowboys voluntary workouts
With ongoing contract negotiations with the Dallas Cowboys, it is far from a guarantee that Micah Parsons will be present at voluntary workouts when OTAs kick off in May. The superstar defender, who is expected to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, has suggested in the past that he won't be a training camp holdout […]
With ongoing contract negotiations with the Dallas Cowboys, it is far from a guarantee that Micah Parsons will be present at voluntary workouts when OTAs kick off in May.
The superstar defender, who is expected to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, has suggested in the past that he won't be a training camp holdout even if there's not a deal in place. However, Parsons has missed voluntary workouts in the past and many have assumed he could miss this year's if negotiations aren't going well.
On Tuesday, however, head coach Brian Schottenheimer put the ball in Parsons' court, saying he expects the defensive end to be around.
“That’s what Micah’s talked about, the more you’re around, the more chance you have to influence guys," Schottenheimer told reporters via David Moore from Dallas Morning News at the NFL annual league meetings. “We expect him to be around.”
According to multiple reports, the Cowboys have spoken with Parsons without his agent involved, a sign that negotiations have yet to reach any serious phase yet. Jerry and Stephen Jones have been known to try to talk to players directly and have even publicly complained about players that don't wish to do that.
Even if Parsons is open to talking to them without his agent, it's difficult to envision such conversations moving things along. The defensive end is represented by David Mulugheta, one of the top agents in the NFL. Earlier in the offseason, Parsons posted strong praise for him on social media.
"Some of these agents don’t have the best interest for y'all man!," Parsons posted in a message seemingly directed to his NFL peers. "Wake up, (agent) David Mulugheta has been showing it time and time again! It’s sad seeing some of these players get violated by teams because of lack of decency and effort by their agents!"
That doesn't sound like a player willing to go over his agent's head to sign a deal with the Cowboys. Parsons will absolutely want Mulugheta to be involved in the process.
With that being said, perhaps Parsons will draw a line when it comes to holdouts. Mulugheta is likely to suggest one if there's no deal in place. Even quarterback Jordan Love, whom he represents, held out from training camp during negotiations with the Green Bay Packers last year.
A hold-in could also be an option for Parsons when training camp comes around. However, the first step will be voluntary attendance when spring workouts kick off. If Parsons is there, it'll say a lot about his leadership and his desire to learn Matt Eberflus' scheme.
