Cowboys still haven't recovered from Parsons trade yet

[Diehardblues]

Honestly I don’t think our opinion of him is too far apart. I do think he’s great, just not elite. However, I think if he had stayed at LB, he would have been truly elite.

I don’t consider playoffs or championships to determine eliteness. Just the play of the field. The one thing however, that can be considered are the players around you.

Regardless of our personal opinions if his career continues on same pace he will most likely be in that HOF discussion which I’d argue in most critics and analysts spectrum would be Elite .

But if fans have some HOF caliber talents as non Elite then perhaps there is the disconnect. Personally for me great and elite are aligned.

There’s always the possibility his career plummets after injury and why I initially said at time of trade.

I feel pretty comfortable and probably on right side of history arguing at least at time of trade he was considered an Elite or Great player.

 

[kskboys]

Regardless of our personal opinions if his career continues on same pace he will most likely be in that HOF discussion which I’d argue in most critics and analysts spectrum would be Elite .

But if fans have some HOF caliber talents as non Elite then perhaps there is the disconnect. Personally for me great and elite are aligned.

There’s always the possibility his career plummets after injury and why I initially said at time of trade.

I feel pretty comfortable and probably on right side of history arguing at least at time of trade he was considered an Elite or Great player.

Parsons is an elite pass rusher. Don't see how anyone can question that. However, as an edge rusher he is too easily pushed aside vs the run. So, it's both. Is elite in one area considered elite? Depends on the person.

 

[DuncanIso]

Until he isn’t. That would be in big games and the end of the season. Elite means you play your best games when they count the most, like in the playoffs or at the end of the season when trying to win the division or get into the playoffs.

E-lite.

highlights
NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year(2021) 3× First-team All-Pro (2021, 2022, 2025) Second-team All-Pro (2023) 5× Pro Bowl (2021–2025) Butkus Award (pro) (2021) PFWA All-Rookie Team (2021) Consensus All-American (2019) Big Ten Linebacker of the Year (2019) Freshman All-American (2018)

Tackles	297
Sacks	65
Forced fumbles	11
Fumble recoveries	4
Pass deflections	10
Defensive touchdowns	1

 

[Diehardblues]

Parsons is an elite pass rusher. Don't see how anyone can question that. However, as an edge rusher he is too easily pushed aside vs the run. So, it's both. Is elite in one area considered elite? Depends on the person.

Is an Elite edge rusher expected to be an Elite run stopper?

Sounds to me like it’s become more of a talking point to detract from his greatness as edge rusher to somehow justify trading him or at least not paying him.

I’d suggest offering up more adulation for him like how he caused disruption and havoc on QB and masked other weaknesses like in secondary. He made our awful defense better. That’s what Elite talents do. Was it enough to slow or stop the run , no. But that shouldn’t totally negate his value.

Our weakness in stopping the run had many more causes than Parsons on edge . We gave up huge chunks up the middle and why some of our current assets were used there.

 

[DuncanIso]

If a fan has to defend a trade, it wasn’t a good trade.

No one has to defend the HWalker trade.

 

[DuncanIso]

Is an Elite edge rusher expected to be an Elite run stopper?

Sounds to me like it’s become more of a talking point to detract from his greatness as edge rusher to somehow justify trading him or at least not paying him.

I’d suggest offering up more adulation for him like how he caused disruption and havoc on QB and masked other weaknesses like in secondary. He made our awful defense better. That’s what Elite talents do. Was it enough to slow or stop the run , no. But that shouldn’t totally negate his value.

Our weakness in stopping the run had many more causes than Parsons on edge . We gave up huge chunks up the middle and why our current assets were used there.

Good stuff.

 

[Gangsta Spanksta]

Until he isn’t. That would be in big games and the end of the season. Elite means you play your best games when they count the most, like in the playoffs or at the end of the season when trying to win the division or get into the playoffs.

Does he still get double team then?

 

[Diehardblues]

E-lite.

highlights
NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year(2021) 3× First-team All-Pro (2021, 2022, 2025) Second-team All-Pro (2023) 5× Pro Bowl (2021–2025) Butkus Award (pro) (2021) PFWA All-Rookie Team (2021) Consensus All-American (2019) Big Ten Linebacker of the Year (2019) Freshman All-American (2018)

Tackles	297
Sacks	65
Forced fumbles	11
Fumble recoveries	4
Pass deflections	10
Defensive touchdowns	1

And first player since Reggie White to open first 4 years of career with 12+ sacks in a season. I believe he continued that last year in Green Bay.

These attempts to discredit his talent level or impacts are nothing more than talking points to justify not paying him and ultimately trading him.

Not paying him is actually a meaningful argument as Cap concerns are always a worthwhile discussion. But that’s not the focus of these attempts to discredit Parsons.

 

[kskboys]

Is an Elite edge rusher expected to be an Elite run stopper?

Sounds to me like it’s become more of a talking point to detract from his greatness as edge rusher to somehow justify trading him or at least not paying him.

I’d suggest offering up more adulation for him like how he caused disruption and havoc on QB and masked other weaknesses like in secondary. He made our awful defense better. That’s what Elite talents do. Was it enough to slow or stop the run , no. But that shouldn’t totally negate his value.

Our weakness in stopping the run had many more causes than Parsons on edge . We gave up huge chunks up the middle and why some of our current assets were used there.

Of course not, but to be an elite player generally takes a player who is at least competent in all phases.

There have been several edge rushers in the NFL who are forgotten because they were one pony wonders. Robert Quinn was the latest. And he wasn't all that highly valued around the NFL.

Parsons was a big reason GB ran all over us in the playoff debacle. They let him run right in as the ball carrier ran right by him several times.

I don't care about adulation. To me, it's all about building a super bowl contender. We were not going to get there w/ him, so trading him was the right thing to do. However, getting more draft picks would've been much preferable. Clark is just old, and Q is 28.

The primary cause of our D being so bad in 24 was horrific drafting and team building by our GM. Parsons could've and should've been a great piece in the middle of a competent D. That is Jerry's failing.

 

[Diehardblues]

If a fan has to defend a trade, it wasn’t a good trade.

No one has to defend the HWalker trade.

And the Herschel trade would have only been supported with a 1-15 team needing a total rebuild . And the fact those assets were used effectively.

The Cowboys with Parsons weren’t a 1-15 team needing a total rebuild. They just needed more talent on defense cause they had missed in so many recent picks for defense like Mazi and Taco to mention a couple of 1st round bust. There were other misses as well.

And if the Cowboys were actually using the assets they acquired from Parsons to rebuild the defense to a more effective unit there would be more support. So far we haven’t used them effectively. Perhaps the jury is still out on this season.

 

[kskboys]

And first player since Reggie White to open first 4 years of career with 12+ sacks in a season. I believe he continued that last year in Green Bay.

These attempts to discredit his talent level or impacts are nothing more than talking points to justify not paying him and ultimately trading him.

Not paying him is actually a meaningful argument as Cap concerns are always a worthwhile discussion. But that’s not the focus of these attempts to discredit Parsons.

Maybe don't shove every poster here into the same bubble.

The posters you are referring to in your middle paragraph are best ignored anyway. Mostly those types aren't really capable of delving into a subject and look for the simplest way out. No reason to focus on them.

 

[Diehardblues]

Of course not, but to be an elite player generally takes a player who is at least competent in all phases.

There have been several edge rushers in the NFL who are forgotten because they were one pony wonders. Robert Quinn was the latest. And he wasn't all that highly valued around the NFL.

Parsons was a big reason GB ran all over us in the playoff debacle. They let him run right in as the ball carrier ran right by him several times.

I don't care about adulation. To me, it's all about building a super bowl contender. We were not going to get there w/ him, so trading him was the right thing to do. However, getting more draft picks would've been much preferable. Clark is just old, and Q is 28.

The primary cause of our D being so bad in 24 was horrific drafting and team building by our GM. Parsons could've and should've been a great piece in the middle of a competent D. That is Jerry's failing.

I wonder how much more competent he might have been on edge in rushing game if had more support throughout.

Generally people I usually trust like ex coaches and players say you keep the top talents and build around them.

And why I truly believe we wanted to retain Parsons , just couldn’t get deal done which was our owners failure . The rest is simply trying to sweep up and justify the mess best we can.

 

[Diehardblues]

Maybe don't shove every poster here into the same bubble.

The posters you are referring to in your middle paragraph are best ignored anyway. Mostly those types aren't really capable of delving into a subject and look for the simplest way out. No reason to focus on them.

I certainly don’t place you in that category. And why I have liked many of your post.

As a matter of fact your basis has been about managing the cap not discrediting his talent .

 

[kskboys]

I wonder how much more competent he might have been on edge in rushing game if had more support throughout.

Generally people I usually trust like ex coaches and players say you keep the top talents and build around them.

And why I truly believe we wanted to retain Parsons , just couldn’t get deal done which was our owners failure . The rest is simply trying to sweep up and justify the mess best we can.

I liked Parsons a lot, but you simply cannot pay one dimensional players 1/5th of the salary cap. You'd come up w/ the same problem you have w/ Dak, not enough cap room to put the correct players around him. Never mind having a GM who has no clue what the correct players are anyway!!!!

 

[kskboys]

I certainly don’t place you in that category. And why I have liked many of your post.

As a matter of fact your basis has always been about managing the cap not discrediting his talent .

Yes, it has.

I was for trading him off, but it has nothing to do w/ his talent.

I find it weird that people discredit his talent. He has carried our D since he's been here.

 

[Diehardblues]

For the record I was hoping the attempt to rebuild defense would come to shine this season and justify trading Parsons.

Maybe it’s going take longer , IDK but most who touted this trade and moves we made felt confident we’d see results this season.

So far that’s been a failure and a complete turd which places this season on the verge of collapse.

 

[Diehardblues]

I liked Parsons a lot, but you simply cannot pay one dimensional players 1/5th of the salary cap. You'd come up w/ the same problem you have w/ Dak, not enough cap room to put the correct players around him. Never mind having a GM who has no clue what the correct players are anyway!!!!

For the record we have been able to surround Dak with not only 2 good WR but a RB.

The Cap can be manipulated as well with huge signing bonuses , deferring contract with bigger Cap hits until end along with Franchise Tags.

Parsons initial Cap hit with Packers was under 10 million last year and second year under 20. That allows you some time if had reliable FO to rebuild if draft well . And why were in bad place to begin with.

It all goes back to mismanagement on players, draft, etc. Some teams figure it out. We haven’t .

Hopefully we will but I have little faith and why I’d prefer keeping our best talents and trying to build around .