Windy City Gridiron
What in the world just happened?
The NFL world was stunned when the news came down this afternoon that Jerry Jones had decided to trade Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers for two first-round picks and DT Kenny Clark.
I was going to write this up as an objective news piece, but I’m unable to do so.
This sucks.
There’s no way to spin it. You can say, “They don’t have a first-round pick the next two years!” You can say, “Kenny Clark is gone!” That’s some serious cope. There’s no way to spin this in a positive direction for the Chicago Bears.
No, this doesn’t guarantee the Packers a Super Bowl championship, just like it didn’t guarantee the Bears anything when they traded for Khalil Mack. But we saw what Mack did for that Bears defense in 2018. Parsons could (and should) have that kind of impact on the Packers’ defense this season.
As for Jerry Jones and the Cowboys, I will say this, and not because he chose the Packers of all teams; he could have sent him to the AFC, like any normal football executive would have, and I would say the same thing: Jerry needs to be stopped.
We always hear about how sometimes players take contract negotiations personally (see Roquan Smith). This is the first time I’ve heard that the team allowed things to get personal. Jones traded Parsons because his feelings were hurt. Whether it was because he misunderstood and thought Parsons agreed to a below-market deal (without his agent!), or whether it was because Parsons sought out a second opinion on his back and Jerry felt like Micah wasn’t loyal. Whatever the case was, this is truly insane.
Jerry Jones likes the headlines and likes the soap opera. We all thought that’s what this was. Just a way for Jerry to keep his team as the top story on ESPN, and that eventually this deal would just get done. But I was wrong. The media was wrong.
A sensible executive would have sent Parsons to the AFC, just like the then-Oakland Raiders sent Khalil Mack to the NFC. Not only does he keep Parsons in the NFC, he trades them to a contender, and to a team that has had quite the rivalry with Dallas, including when Aaron Rodgers ripped the hearts out of the Cowboys with an insane last-minute victory in the 2016 NFL Playoffs.
That’s the team you choose to trade Micah Parsons to? That’s the team you send arguably the best non-quarterback in the NFL?
I now expect the Green Bay Packers to win the division. I think the Packers have catapulted themselves to one of the top 7 or 8 teams in the league. This is a great move for them, and it’s rough for the Chicago Bears.
Ben Johnson now has to deal with Micah Parsons blowing up his offense. If anyone can scheme around that, it’s him, but the Bears’ path to becoming a Super Bowl...
