It’s been nearly a week, and I’m still stunned the Cowboys actually traded Micah Parsons to the Packers.
Now that the dust has settled, I want to take a closer look at whether the Packers are true contenders in the NFC. Can one player make that much of a difference to turn Green Bay from a fringe playoff team to a genuine Super Bowl threat?
As for the Cowboys, owner Jerry Jones hinted that his team might not be done with trades this season. He’s going to have a hard time finding a pass rusher who will come close to replicating Parsons’s production.
And I promise this week’s NFL Fact or Fiction isn’t all about the Packers and Cowboys. There’s plenty to break down before the Week 1 NFL Kickoff Game featuring Dallas and Philadelphia.
Cowboys should call Dolphins about a pass rusher
Manzano’s view: Fact
Not much of what Jones said during his news conference last week made sense, as he tried his best to compare the Parsons deal to the Herschel Walker trade of 1989. Even after the Walker trade, it took the Cowboys three seasons to win the Super Bowl.
Dak Prescott is already 32, and CeeDee Lamb is 26. Time isn’t exactly on the side of Dallas’s core group. They need to contend now. However, there was one thing that Jones said that made some sense. He didn’t rule out the possibility of trading for an established player to help this year’s team.
The Cowboys now have the draft picks (four No. 1 picks over the next two years) to get aggressive on the trade market. The problem? It’s so late in the offseason that star edge rushers are probably no longer available. Trey Hendrickson just agreed to a revised contract with the Bengals, and that move wouldn’t have made sense because the Cowboys just shipped Parsons because they didn’t want to pay top dollar for a difference-making edge rusher.
Dallas now needs to go bargain hunting to build depth on the defensive front, while also fixing the run defense without diminishing the production on the edges. The Cowboys should be on the phone right now calling the Dolphins about Jaelan Phillips, who probably isn’t in Miami’s long-term plans after multiple injuries and the 2024 first-round draft selection of Chop Robinson. Heck, they should even ask about Bradley Chubb. The Dolphins could be willing to eat most of his 2025 salary for draft picks.
There’s plenty of risk here because Chubb and Phillips have dealt with significant injuries in the past few seasons. But it’s worth the dice roll for the Cowboys if it only costs them a few Day 3 picks. They can’t waste the 2025 season, not when Prescott and Lamb just re-signed last year.
ORR: Trade Is Proof Jerry Jones Should No Longer Lead Cowboys | VERDERAME: Trade Grades | MANZANO: Trade Winners and Losers | BREER: How the Trade Came Together
Packers will hit the over on 10.5 wins
Manzano’s view: Fact
In my winners and losers column regarding the Parsons trade, I shared that I initially didn’t have the Packers making the playoffs because I worried about Jordan Love’s 2024 regression, the lack of a true No. 1 wideout, and several concerns along the defensive front.
However, my colleague Matt Verderame had a more concise summary of the Packers before Parsons’s arrival: “The Packers have a lot of good players, but they don’t have a transformative one.”
That’s what was missing in Green Bay. The Packers went from a fringe playoff team to a true contender because they got a special player at a pivotal position. Parsons’s game-wrecking skills will help in so many different areas on both sides of the ball. And let’s not forget that the Cowboys needed proven edge rusher Charles Haley to help their young roster take the next steps, but I guess Jones forgot about that. Seriously, why didn’t Dallas send Parsons to the AFC? The more I think about it, the worse this trade gets for Dallas.
Anyway, there are other reasons besides the acquisition of Parsons for why I’ve changed my tune on the Packers. Rookie receiver Matthew Golden flashed his high potential in the preseason and has the look of developing into a legitimate No. 1 option for Love.
So, yes, the Packers will hit the over and win more than 10 games in 2025.
Broncos not legit Super Bowl contenders
Manzano’s view: Fiction
No, that title still belongs to the Bengals. I don’t understand all the offseason praise they’ve gotten with a defense that will likely be awful again.
Yes, Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are great, but I’d rather have the balanced roster of the Broncos.
While the Broncos have the look of a playoff team, I’m just not convinced that they’re a legit Super Bowl contender. Bo Nix needs to find another gear in his second season and will have to do it without a true No. 1 wideout. Still, Denver has depth at the skill positions and a loaded defense that could undoubtedly be the top unit by the end of the 2025 season.
If only the Broncos could swap Nix for Burrow. Then again, Broncos coach Sean Payton has spent the summer telling reporters that Nix will eventually be a superstar.
Texans are Super Bowl contenders
Manzano’s view: Fiction
While scrolling through the latest Super Bowl odds after the Packers’ splash trade for Parsons, I noticed the Texans were listed at 30-1 odds. That’s actually good value for Houston. By the way, the Packers jumped to 12-1 odds, the same as the Lions.
It wouldn’t hurt to throw a few dollars on the Texans, but don’t expect that bet to hit. There are too many question marks surrounding this team. Just like Love, I have concerns about C.J. Stroud’s regression last year. Now, it’s on Stroud to make sure the new-look receiving corps is on the same page with him, including rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. It would go a long way if Christian Kirk and star receiver Nico Collins play a complete season.
However, building chemistry in the passing game won’t occur without stout protection for Stroud. The Texans took a big gamble when they traded left tackle Laremy Tunsil to Washington. I do agree that changes were needed, but I’m skeptical about the moves they made to retool their offensive line.
The Texans better be right about the starting offensive line they roll out for Week 1 against the Rams, or it could be a long season for Stroud.
Saints will have the No. 1 pick 2026
Manzano’s view: Fiction
The Saints will be bad this season. I’m just not sure whether they’ll be No. 1-pick bad based on the trends of the past few seasons.
The football public was sure that the Cardinals would get the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft. They won enough games to pick fourth, which ultimately led to Marvin Harrison Jr. being selected. The Panthers got the top pick that year, but sent it to the Bears as part of the Bryce Young deal of 2023.
Last year, the public was split on whether the Broncos and Patriots capturing the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft. Denver made the playoffs, and New England picked fourth, selecting offensive tackle Will Campbell. The Titans gained the top pick, selecting Cam Ward.
The Saints may end up with the fourth pick next year. There’s also the Browns as another candidate to gain the No. 1 pick in 2026, but maybe there will be another surprise team to kick off the draft in Pittsburgh.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cowboys’ Pass-Rushing Targets After Trading Micah Parsons .
