Cowboys mailbag: Understanding Jerry Jones and would Dallas consider trading Micah Parsons?

Thanks to everyone who asked questions in our mid-season Dallas Cowboys mailbag. If you missed it, you can still leave questions here and we can resolve it in the future. But there’s a lot to live up to here, particularly regarding Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones, as well as the future of some key players on defense.

I pretty much became a Cowboys fan after the “all in” offseason, and Jerry (Jones)’s comments today reinforced my decision. … What does responsibility look like for him at this point? And when he takes the blame for the failures of recent decades? – Paulo W.

Initially, I thought Jones’ trade on 105.3 The Fan was premeditated to ensure the Cowboys were still in the national conversation, making headlines and leading debate shows. Maybe it was even to divert the focus from a bad product on the field and a lame coach. In his own words a few months ago, Jones admitted that he likes “trying to rock” because “it feels good. Be relevant. It works.”

But Jones’ comments to Atlético Dianna Russini forced me to change my point of view. I’m sure Jones is happy that the Cowboys got the attention, but my interpretation of Jones’ outburst went from a calculated marketing move to the tensions of his football team reaching a boiling point and spilling over to Jones.

You can tell how much he mentions the offense during this lopsided start to the season. Jones is getting most of the blame for the team’s struggles — rightfully so, in my opinion — but he feels an offense led by an offensive-minded coach, the highest-paid player in NFL history and the second-highest-paid non-quarterback paid in the league should mask his deficiencies – some of which, incidentally, have to do with how (and when) he signed these players to contract extensions.

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This brings us to the heart of your question, regarding accountability. It’s no exaggeration to say that Jones is at the top of the NFL chain. He is the owner and general manager of the most valuable franchise in the world. He has three Lombardi trophies and a gold jacket. As bad as things may be at the moment for Jones, it’s not that bad in the big picture.

The two avenues of accountability I see are fan support and media issues. The Cowboys are a massive organization, and three decades of mediocrity haven’t stopped fans from filling the stadium, buying merchandise and offering other means of financial support. Business is booming for Jones, so it’s hard to imagine this changing anything. On the football side, Jones is able to put out a product that is good enough but still draws all the attention to himself. When he’s asked about shortcomings, he usually has thick enough skin to offer world-salad answers and go about his day, Tuesday morning notwithstanding.

This is what responsibility looks like for someone who wields so much power. And if you’re waiting for a real sense of responsibility for the failures of the last two decades, you’ll be waiting a long time.

Jerry Jones, right, and Stephen Jones aren’t going away anytime soon. (Jason Parkhurst/Imagn Imagens)

It’s clear that Jerry (and his son) need to be fired and a real GM installed. Some reporter from the Cowboys world will ask Jerry what question? -Jeff S.

As someone who has regularly interacted with Jones since 2015, I’ve always found the notion that Jones doesn’t get tough, pointed questions amusing. Maybe it’s because Jones does so much press that some of these questions get lost in the shuffle, but I can guarantee that Jones has been asked just about any fair question you can ask. I’ve been covering Jones since I was 20 years old and I’ve been there when he’s been asked about everything from national anthem stuff to an old photo of him in Arkansas amid racial tensions to paternity lawsuits and everything in between.

Jones has certainly been asked about just about every football question under the sun regarding the Cowboys and their decades-long ineptitude. Just because you might not like the answer – or he might not answer the question – doesn’t mean the question wasn’t asked. This question from Jeff about mailbag is a great example of this.

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Here’s the final question, posed by longtime Dallas columnist Tim Cowlishaw to Jones at this year’s opening press conference at training camp: “Jerry, as far as you being all-in, the job of Mike (McCarthy) is on the line, the other coaches’ jobs are on the line. The general manager’s job is not at stake. Stephen’s (Jones) job is not at stake. Thirty-one other organizations don’t do it this way. The only thing that happens here is that the coaches are recycled and you made eight coaching hires. Why does this make sense for the Cowboys when no one else does it this way?”

I won’t bore you with Jones’ five-minute non-answer, but the point is that the question was asked. And I can tell you, this is far from the only time.

Should the Cowboys consider making a Herschel Trade 2.0 by moving Micah Parsons? – Marcos L.

I don’t think this is a glaring issue, but I don’t think the Cowboys should consider trading Parsons, at least for now. This is a question of how do you believe Parsons offers the Cowboys more value – as a player or as a trade asset? Let’s look at both.

In his first three seasons in the NFL, Parsons finished in the top three in Defensive Player of the Year voting every year. His impact on the field is enormous. Almost no matter what stats you look at, Parsons was among the league’s best from 2021 to 2023:

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• His 40 1/2 sacks were fourth best.

• His 260 pressures, according to TruMedia, tied Nick Bosa for second best.

• His 88 quarterback hits were third-best.

• 169 hurries are second best and his 21.2 pressure percentage is fifth best.

The slowdown at the end of seasons has been a problem, but by almost every measure, Parsons has been one of the top five pass rushers in the NFL. While I don’t like talking about officiating, it’s also true that Parsons doesn’t get as many waiting calls as he should. His game also opens things up for other players, on the defensive front, but also in the secondary. He plays arguably the second most important position on a football team and is one of the best at his craft. This is an extremely difficult talent to find.

Now, let’s explore Parsons’ value as a business asset. While it wouldn’t match the ridiculousness of the Herschel Walker trade, the Cowboys could get a huge haul, something on the order of several first-round picks, some decent players on the roster, and a handful of other draft picks. With the Cowboys investing nearly $100 million in Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, not to mention potential paydays coming up for guys like Tyler Smith and DaRon Bland, they need to really dig deeper into their existing approach to drafting and development.

I was interested in considering this until September 8th when the Cowboys signed Prescott to a huge contract extension. If the Cowboys let Prescott play this season and then were in the market for a new quarterback, essentially entering into a rebuild of sorts, I think the result Parsons would bring could help the Cowboys acquire some quality young pieces that would fit the mold. than the next coach would want. Perhaps the trade return could even help the Cowboys land their next franchise quarterback.

With the Cowboys committed to Prescott, the team cannot realistically undertake a legitimate rebuild. Some might understand my premise and say that signing Prescott and Lamb is why they need to stockpile cheap talent during the draft, and I hear that. But I think having Parsons – because of the caliber of player he is – on the team is how the Cowboys can get the most out of him, at least for now.

I think you can consider options with Parsons at the 2025 trade deadline, but I would go into next season with him.

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With Trevon Diggs getting a lot of money for a tackle-averse player and the emergence of DaRon Bland, should the Cowboys consider trading Diggs to free up cap space, although it could be transferred to Bland in time? -Geoff C.

I don’t think the Cowboys would necessarily look to trade Diggs for cap space, but I can see him as someone the Cowboys would be willing to trade if they were trying to make a deal to acquire another player or draft pick. This would have less to do with Diggs and more to do with the situation brewing in the secondary, as you alluded to.

Bland’s emergence as an All-Pro talent last year was unexpected. The Cowboys expected him to be good, but he wasn’t what good, what fast. His big payday is coming soon and the Cowboys will have a decision to make. If I had the option today to commit to just one of the two cornerbacks, I would choose Bland over Diggs. I think Diggs is a great playmaker and throws the ball in the air better than any Dallas cornerback I can remember this side of Deion Sanders. But Bland is the more complete and slightly younger cornerback. Jourdan Lewis, the top cornerback, is 29 years old, but he plays at a high level and is a great locker room guy, so the Cowboys may try to keep him for a while longer. So it all comes down to the belief they have in Caelen Carson. It’s too early to make a verdict on him one way or the other, but the Cowboys like what they have in the 2024 draft pick.

(Top photo by Micah Parsons: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)