Cheese curds. Spotted Cow. Micah Parsons.
As of this moment, perhaps the three top favorites of Wisconsinites.
On Thursday afternoon, the Packers pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Cowboys, acquiring superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. Upon completion of the deal, Parsons will sign a four-year, $188 million extension, including $136 million guaranteed. The contract is a record in terms of annual value ($47 million), total money and guaranteed money for a non-quarterback.
In a league that has seen an increasing amount of trades in recent years, including a similar deal when Khalil Mack was sent from the Raiders to the Bears in the week before the 2018 season, the Parsons trade was still a shock.
Talking with sources around the league, a current AFC defensive coordinator and an NFC front office executive felt the Cowboys and Packers both have reason to feel good, as Dallas got two premium picks and a Pro Bowl defensive tackle. Others felt Green Bay clearly won, including an AFC head coach.
Then, there was another veteran defensive coordinator who stated that while he’d rather have the proven player than the unknown ones selected, in the draft, he also sees why Dallas made the decision.
“He’s not a well-liked player in the building. He’s a diva. He can be a pain in the ass. But he can rush the passer.”AFC defensive coordinator on Parsons
“He’s not a well-liked player in the building. He’s a diva. He can be a pain in the ass. But he can rush the passer.”
Still, for Green Bay, the trade is a coup. Parsons now gives the Packers the best edge rusher they’ve had since their halcyon days in the 1990s, with Reggie White tearing off the edge when they won Super Bowl XXXI over the Patriots in the Louisiana Superdome. In his four-year career, Parsons has racked up 52.5 sacks while totaling double-digits in each campaign. He also has 112 quarterback hits and 63 tackles for loss.
For context, here’s how some of the other top-tier edge rushers have done over that span:
- Maxx Crosby: 42.5 sacks, 117 QB hits and 75 TFLs
- Myles Garrett: 60 sacks, 117 QB hits, 74 TFLs
- Trey Hendrickson: 57 sacks, 112 QB hits, 53 TFLs
- T.J. Watt: 58.5 sacks, 114 QB hits and 57 TFLs
Parsons may not have the highest total in any of those categories, but he’s also entering his second deal while all of those players are now on their third. For Parsons, a two-time first-team All-Pro coming into his age-26 season, there’s reason to believe his best days are still ahead of him.
In Green Bay, he’ll play under coordinator Jeff Hafley, who relies heavily on four-man pressures. Last year, the Packers blitzed only on 17.3% of snaps, the least of any team besides the Jaguars. The result was a middling pressure rate of 22.1%, ranking 16th in the league. While Rashan Gary is a good player—his 7.5 sacks led the team last season—Parsons’s presence will now allow Gary to become even more effective without seeing double teams, making both edge spots better.
As for Dallas, it’s a perplexing decision by owner and general manager Jerry Jones.
For years, Jones has typically hoarded media attention throughout exaggerated contract disputes before paying his stars. Last summer, Jones did this with CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott before signing them to contracts worth $376 million, including $331 million guaranteed as the season began.
This time, though, Jones talked tough throughout August, repeatedly stating he wouldn’t deal with Parsons’s high-powered agent in David Mulugheta of Athletes First. Ultimately, Parsons sat out, and the stalemate ended with one of the most shocking deals in NFL history.
Perhaps Jones believes this will end up similarly to when he (and, very notably, Jimmy Johnson) dealt running back Herschel Walker to the Vikings during the 1989 season for five players who, if Dallas cut after the season, were turned into early-round draft capital. The move jump-started the Cowboys, who went on to win three of four Super Bowls between '92 to '95.
Unfortunately for Jones, this trade isn’t bringing back nearly the same haul, and the quality of player being shipped out is far greater. It’s a confounding move for an 82-year-old owner hoping to see his team win a Lombardi Trophy once more.
Packers grade: A
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Micah Parsons Trade Grades: No Doubt About Which Team Aced This Test.
