There was a question whether Micha Parsons was going to be available to play for the Dallas Cowboys in next week’s opener against the defending Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers. In addition to a protracted contract dispute, Parsons was getting multiple medical opinions on a back injury which was his reason for not practicing with Dallas.
Well, whether Parsons would line up in the Dallas defense has been answered, he won’t. Traded on Thursday to the Green Bay Packers for a pair of first round draft choices and defensive lineman Kenny Clark, a few things have suddenly shifted in the National Football League.
First, the odds on the Dallas Cowboys winning Super Bowl LX went from 33 to one to 40 to one. So far, the odds of the Packers winning it all this year has not shifted off 18 to 1 odds. The Cowboys are still a touchdown underdog to the Eagles for their season opener, but the money line jumped from Philadelphia being a 320 favorite to 350.
The Packers spread for their season opener, they host NFC North Division rival Detroit, now sees the Lions getting 2½ points instead of 1½ prior to the trade.
One other thing, it appears that Parsons’ back injury has cleared up. Do you think that the Penn State alum was using that as an excuse not to practice with the team and risk injury during contract negotiations?
While not keeping one of the premier defensive players on your roster can’t be a good thing, knowing the Cowboys salary cap situation the move was not the worst idea. Parsons is now the highest paid non-quarterback player in the league, if Dallas would have made that deal, they would have had cap problems that would have depleted the possibility of surrounding Dak Prescott and company with talent necessary to win it all. The Cowboys also come out of the trade with an All-Pro Defensive lineman in Clark, and the possibility of having a pair of impact players chosen in the draft that will have at least three years to play under amounts afforded in rookie contracts.