The Philadelphia Eagles fans are ecstatic over Micah Parsons’ request for a trade from the Dallas Cowboys. Parsons is one of the top players in the NFL and a former Penn State standout.
Divisional schadenfreude is always fun for Birds supporters. If it wasn’t obvious, the Cowboys are in disarray as a result of the four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Parsons wanting to leave due to tense contract discussions.
However, the prospect of Parsons joining the reigning Super Bowl champions also excites, or at least piques, the interest of Eagles fans.
Is Parsons a trade target for the Eagles? Could it be done by Howie Roseman?
First, let’s look at the Eagles’ acquisition price for Parsons.
Earlier this week, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell stated that a team would need to acquire Parsons from the Cowboys with at least two first-round picks. Barnwell compared the Parsons situation most closely to that of Khalil Mack, who was traded from the Raiders to the Bears in 2018.
Former Defensive Player of the Year Mack was traded for two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and a sixth-round pick in exchange for a second-round pick. Mack was a year older at the time than Parsons. In addition, Parsons had more quarterback knockdowns (112 to 84) and sacks (52 1/2 to Mack’s 40 1/2) during his first four seasons.
The Eagles would have to pay a hefty price when you factor in the fact that the Cowboys would trade to a divisional foe that just won the Super Bowl, as well as the PR disaster that would follow.
The Eagles have the draft capital, which is fantastic news. All of their subsequent first-round selections are their property.
The cost of paying Parsons is the bad news.
It is anticipated that the Harrisburg native will sign a record-breaking contract. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ T.J. Watt holds the record for the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL. Earlier this offseason, Watt agreed to a $41 million average annual value (AAV) deal. Parsons probably would fetch more than that.
The Eagles have $30.1 million in cap space, per OverTheCap. Therefore, it’s not as easy as sending a huge draft haul to the Cowboys and signing one of the league’s top defensive players, unless Parsons was willing to accept a pay reduction to join the Eagles.
Roseman might be able to rework a few contracts. However, defensive tackle Jalen Carter is eligible for an extension after this season, even if they were to take that action. The game-changing interior lineman will be one of the highest-paid defensive tackles in the league, and the Eagles will want to lock him down.
In the end, trading for Parsons would be very expensive and challenging. Don’t question Roseman, though.
The NFL general manager may be the best at allocating funds and overseeing the cap. Additionally, there may not be a greater general manager at setting up a squad for success.
The Eagles recently won the Super Bowl. They bring back DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown, Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and perhaps the NFL’s top offensive line. Vic Fangio is in charge of the defense, which is full of talented players. The Eagles, however, are counting on players like Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith to take the next step off the edge.
Now is the time to win another Super Bowl. It goes without saying that adding Parsons would increase the Eagles’ chances of winning consecutive games.
Roseman is the only person who could pull it off.
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