Cowboys’ attempt to spin Micah Parsons trade as a win only reinforces how great a deal it was for the Packers
Dallas has completed the use of their trade resources, but it still looks like a great move for Green Bay.
The Dallas Cowboys are trying to sell the Micah Parsons trade as a success for their franchise. The problem is that the details of the deal only reinforce how lopsided it was in favor of the Green Bay Packers.
Dallas reached a contract extension with defensive tackle Quinnen Williams on a three-year, $105.9 million deal. After the extension, Cowboys COO Stephen Jones talked about how the Parsons’ trade feels fully complete now that the team has used the resources it acquired.
“When you make a trade like that, you’re not looking for one- and two-year fixes,” Jones said. “You want to get some things that are the foundation of your future. Certainly, now that solidifies that he’s a part of our foundation here for the next five years.”
The Cowboys selected edge defender Malachi Lawrence with the 2026 first-round pick, then moved the 2027 first-round pick in a package that included more draft capital to acquire Williams, and defensive tackle Kenny Clark is still on the Cowboys.
The compensation is fine, but Parsons is more valuable
Williams is one of the best defensive tackles in football, earning around $35 million a year on his new deal. Parsons, meanwhile, is making $47.5 million a year for the Packers. But beyond the salary difference, the compensation gap between the two sides of this trade is significant.
Parsons is flat out better than Williams. He’s probably the second-best defensive player in all of football, just behind Myles Garrett, and he’s three years younger. That means a lot of great production remains ahead of him in Green Bay.
Clark, at this stage of his career, is not the player he once was for the Packers during his prime. There was a good chance the Packers would have moved on from Clark this offseason regardless, given how his contract was structured, the cost, and his declining production. So the package of two defensive tackles from the same position probably isn’t worth the caliber of player Parsons is for Dallas. But for the Packers in particular, giving up two firsts and Clark for Parsons is still excellent.
The difference between Parsons and the players Dallas acquired goes beyond individual talent. Edge defender is the most premium position on the defensive side of the ball because of one player’s ability to maximize the entire rest of the defense.
That’s exactly what happened last season. When Parsons was on the field for the Packers, the defense operated at a high level. When he got hurt, the defense regressed because Green Bay couldn’t generate nearly as much pressure sending only four rushers. The Packers were forced to send more, which exposed the secondary and stressed the entire defensive structure.
Rookie is the wild card
The big question for Dallas is how good Lawrence will be, and that’s something nobody knows yet. He was a fairly productive college player, but his development will be a determining factor for the Cowboys alongside the durability of Williams and Clark.
For the Packers, the trade remains one they should feel great about. Finding a player of Parsons’ caliber is extraordinarily difficult, even with the package of draft picks and cap space Dallas received. The investment was significant, but the value Parsons offers made it worth it for Green Bay.
