Silver Minings: Raiders named potential landing spot for Micah Parsons

Whenever a big-name player asks for a trade, fanbases across the NFL are quick to say that their team should trade for said player. That usually means nothing, but fuel gets added to the fire when the media makes the same connection.

Recently, Dallas Cowboys’ star pass-rusher Micah Parsons asked to be dealt, and NFL.com’s Eric Edholm listed the Las Vegas Raiders as one of seven teams that could pursue the four-time Pro Bowler.

“Few teams are better equipped to handle the financial burden of a Parsons contract extension than the Raiders, both in the short and long terms,” Edholm wrote on August 1. “They’re sitting close to $40 million under the salary cap now and boast nearly $100 million in space for 2026, per Over the Cap. Paying Parsons wouldn’t be the issue, even after extending Maxx Crosby.

“And much like with a potential Parsons-[Myles] Garrett pairing in Cleveland, the idea of Crosby and Parsons hunting AFC West quarterbacks for the next several years would be a frightening idea for the opposition. Pete Carroll led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl title with a dominant defense, and he could tap into a similar formula with another stud on that side of the ball.

“New GM John Spytek hasn’t been afraid to make some bold moves so far, so it’s not hard to imagine the Raiders trying to land Parsons. But coming up with enough in an offer might be another matter entirely. It might take their next two first-round picks and then some, and the Raiders are not dealing from a notable draft-pick surplus the next few years.”

The six other teams Edholm named were the Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Commanders.

Throwing Parsons in the mix with Crosby would give the Raiders two pass-rushers who are 26 and 27 years old, respectively, and have combined for 112 career sacks, eight Pro Bowls and five All-Pro selections. However, as Edholm mentions, the pricetag for the Penn State product would be steep.

So, the question is: Is Parsons worth taking a big swing for the fences?

In Other Raiders’ Links:

• Depth Chart shake-up: After Lonnie Johnson’s injury, Chris Smith II was the defense’s third safety, while Jamal Adams got reps with the first-time defense at linebacker on Monday, per ESPN’s Ryan McFadden. Also, Jordan Meredith was at center, and Jackson Powers-Johnson was at right guard with the starting offense.
• Next Raider in the Hall of Fame?: After Eric Allen was inducted this past weekend, Paul Gutierrez of the team’s website posed the question of who should be the next Raider to head to Canton, Ohio: Jim Plunkett, Lester Hayes, Steve Wisniewski or Shane Lechler?
• Pete Carroll’s culture ever-present in training camp: “But more importantly than that, we’re seeing tangible evidence of the Carroll culture infusing itself into everything Raider,” Silver and Black Pride’s Ray Aspuria wrote. “The energy is amplifying the culture change,...