After controversially trading Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in August, Jerry Jones has one person backing him for the move: Terry Bradshaw.
Bradshaw defended the trade for the Dallas Cowboys on “FOX NFL Sunday,” saying that Jones’ decision to deal Parsons is better from a team-building standpoint.
“I think Jerry Jones did the right thing. I don’t blame him one bit. I would’ve unloaded him,” Bradshaw said. “Saves me a ton of money on the salary cap, No. 1. He’s automatically getting two more first-round picks. Who’s to say that if things don’t work out, somebody’s going to get traded and pick up another one. Jerry Jones is sitting in the driver’s seat. I think it was a smart decision.”
Obviously, the trade gave the Cowboys more assets and flexibility against the salary cap. They’ll have two first-round picks in each of the next two drafts, marking the first time they’ve had multiple first-round picks in a draft class since 2008. Parsons also signed the richest contract for a non-quarterback in NFL history upon his trade to the Packers – four years, $186 million – so the Cowboys essentially save $46.5 million against the cap on an annual basis by not extending the star edge rusher.
Still, in order to get those extra first-round picks and roster flexibility, the Cowboys had to give up arguably the best edge rusher in the NFL. Parsons recorded at least 12 sacks in each of his first four years in the league, consistently ranking among the best at the position in pressures and pass-rush win rate.
While Bradshaw acknowledged Parsons’ talent, he continued to harp on the point that this trade allows Dallas to improve its roster in other ways. In fact, he thinks it could wind up benefiting the Cowboys in the same way that another big trade they made did.
“Whether or not Parsons was a difference-maker with the back injury – and you tell me that’s no big deal, I do [buy that’s a big deal] – this is the factor: Jerry Jones needed to reply to nobody to make this commerce,” Bradshaw stated. “This wasn’t the Jimmy Johnson commerce when Jimmy traded Herschel Walker for six gamers they usually unloaded six gamers to get six draft picks. This would be the identical factor. So, good transfer Jerry Jones.”
Packers’ expectations with Micah Parsons, Aaron Rodgers’ legacy
In fact, the Walker commerce has been extensively considered as one of many lopsided trades in sports activities historical past. The Cowboys acquired eight whole draft picks from that transfer, together with three first-round choices and used these picks to construct their championship groups within the Nineteen Nineties.
Clearly, we can’t know for a bit if the Parsons commerce could have an identical influence. However Parsons appears far likelier to have a much bigger influence with the Packers than Walker did in his 2.5 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. Parsons is a 12 months youthful (26) than Walker was on the time of their trades, whereas the Packers additionally appear to be in a greater spot to contend than the Vikings did within the late Nineteen Eighties.
Parsons confirmed a few of that promise in his Packers debut on Sunday. Whereas taking part in restricted snaps, Parsons recorded three pressures and a sack within the Packers’ 27-13 win over the Detroit Lions.
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