Blogging The Boys
There was once a time when Jerry Jones was a big gambler. His risk-taking ways that made him millions in the oil business transfered over to his football decisions after buying the Dallas Cowboys in 1989. Moves to hire Jimmy Johnson, trade away Herschel Walker, and sign one of the biggest free agents ever in Deion Sanders helped Jones’ Cowboys win three Super Bowls in the ‘90s. All of this is well documented in the recently released Netflix series, “America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys.“
But over the years, some of that gamble left Jerry. After botched deals like the Joey Galloway and Roy Williams trade, he’s backed off quite a bit. No longer is he willing to sell the farm for immediate gratification, but instead, he’s taking a more patient approach and thinking long-term. Never was this more evident than in his latest move, on a day that will live in infamy for Cowboys Nation.
On Thursday, Jones traded All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers for two future first-round picks and the services of defensive tackle Kenny Clark. The news comes after an entire offseason of this supposed contract negotiation gridlock that featured both sides folding their arms and holding their breath. Jones claimed that an offer was made to Parsons, but it wasn’t good enough and negotiations with Parsons’ agent never followed. They expected him to play under his fifth-year option.
Parsons played back at them. He did not practice during training camp, and he publicly asked for a trade. Whether it was a “call me” hand gesture when fans yelled “come to Baltimore” or lying on a trainer’s table hopelessly counting the bolts in the rafters of AT&T Stadium, Parsons created the illusion that he had checked out. He constantly said his back didn’t feel right, while computer-generated radio waves of his body showed otherwise.
To the outside world, it looked like a fractured relationship that was headed for an ugly divorce, but little did we know, the Cowboys had already filed the divorce papers. According to Jones, the team has been considering trading Parsons all offseason. He reiterated that this wasn’t a decision that was a reaction to what the public viewed as a failed contract negotiation. Instead, it was a calculated decision that they felt would make them a better overall team. We’ll get to that in a minute, but what do we make about all this Hollywooding Jones was doing regarding Parsons?
All summer, we’ve heard things like “Micah is a remarkable talent,” or “There’s no chance we’re trading Micah,” or “We’ve got three years to work this thing out,” or “Nobody appreciates Micah more than me.” All of this was phony bologna. He wasn’t sending a message to reassure fans. It was a complete smoke job to maintain Parsons’ trade value to the outside world despite it falling within the organization. It was an acting performance that rivals the remarkable job he did in the TV show Landman....
