Blogging The Boys
The Dallas Cowboys are living in the post-Micah Parsons era now, with the former first-round pick being introduced by the Packers on Friday, and the player they got in return Kenny Clark arriving at The Star to meet his new coaches, teammates, and address the media. It is rare that a move this close to the start of the season completely changes the tenor of two teams, even more so in the same conference, and even rarer for it to include the Cowboys.
Once again, Dallas are the center of attention for all of the wrong reasons, as negative reactions to losing Parsons have understandably poured in from all directions. The Packers now have a piece on defense that takes a young roster which has contended in the playoffs for the last two seasons and adds legitimacy to Green Bay making a deeper run, something Parsons was never a part of in four years in Dallas. The Cowboys lack this premier pass rush talent now, but are insistent their return in the trade to focus on run defense with Kenny Clark paired with two first-round picks is the right football decision.
The Cowboys prioritizing the draft as the lifeblood of their roster construction is nothing new at all, and the trade compensation for Parsons was always going to net them valuable picks as part of the package. Cowboys fans have been quick to dismiss the notion that trading Parsons for picks makes much sense at all, because to state the obvious, Parsons was already one of the best possible examples of a Cowboys draft pick hitting. The idea that they would give up Parsons’ proven production just to earn two additional lottery tickets that could yield them a similar player to Parsons is an easy one to use as fuel for the fire that’s currently burning through the fanbase pointed straight at the front office.
This is where Clark being part of the trade becomes even more crucial, but not just for the merits of who the former first-rounder is on the field. The Cowboys were reportedly only considering trading Parsons to teams where a quality interior tackle could be part of the return. It was a serious move at upgrading defensive tackle and lifting the run defense, but the fact it took trading away Parsons to do so is a giant leap into the deep end of how this situation could have unfolded.
Clark will turn 30 in the second month of the upcoming season, and while his ironman reputation as a player that hardly comes off the field means he could still have plenty left in the tank, the same can be said in a much more concise way about Parsons still having a potential Hall of Fame level career ahead of him. Trying to find ways the Cowboys can “win” this trade goes beyond just Clark and the next two first-round picks, then. The Cowboys must show that Clark is just one step in the right direction...
