Arizona Cardinals Named Landing Spot for Top NFL Player

If star pass rusher Micah Parsons is truly, actually, seriously on the trade market for the Dallas Cowboys, and we should all have major reservations that he is, then every single team should be on the phone no matter how good or bad you are.

Yes, that includes the Arizona Cardinals, who revamped their front seven this offseason but could always stand to continue making the group better.

Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox believes that, and he went all-in on his pitch to Dallas to make the blockbuster trade.

Arizona Cardinals Named Landing Spot for Micah Parsons

To get the deal done, Knox put his GM cap on and offered the following for Parsons: first, second, and third round picks in 2026, a 2027 first round pick, and Zaven Collins.

Wow.

There's simply no denying that this is a massive trade haul for any player and one that is hard to imagine coming to fruition, but stranger things have happened before. I look at this trade and my jaw detached from my skull and hit the floor harder than a grand piano off the fictional Skyview high-rise restaurant tower (if you know, you know).

In an offer to defend this trade, Knox noted a few main points of emphasis, starting with first-round pick Walter Nolen and his recent injury ailment.

"The Cardinals signed both Josh Sweat and Calais Campbell before using the 16th overall pick on Walter Nolen III. However, there are a few reasons why Arizona would be wise to make a run at Parsons. For one, Nolen is dealing with a calf injury and may not be ready for Week 1."

Do Nolen and Parsons play the same position? No. Does Parsons make up for Nolen's absence? Absolutely.

Fair enough, Kristopher. Up next, we have the good ole fashion "coach on the hot seat" approach with Jonathan Gannon:

"Secondly, head coach Jonathan Gannon is entering his third season with a 12-22 record and really needs to start racking up some wins."

It's widely known I am not a believer that Gannon is a coach on the hot seat, but it's just as much common knowledge that I believe he raised his own expectations based on last year. Because of that, more is expected of him this year, hence the busy offseason. The moves he and the team's brass made will go a long way there, but Parsons puts them over the top.

To wrap it up, Knox notes that Campbell is long in the tooth:

"Lastly, while Campbell remains productive, he'll turn 39 in September and isn't a long-term answer on the edge."

Then we have the elephant in the room and the reason Parsons has requested a trade: A new contract. Knox had this to say:

"Now, Parsons is likely to demand a contract extension worth more than the $41 million-per-year deal T.J. Watt recently signed. That could be tricky with Sweat making $19.1 million annually. With $37.9 million in cap space available, though, the Cardinals could probably make it work. They could offload promising-but-inconsistent pass-rusher Zaven Collins to give Dallas back some depth while saving $4.4 million in additional cap space."

Would Micah Parsons Be Worth The Cost?

If Parsons becomes a Cardinal, make him the highest paid non-quarterback in NFL history. That's the current trend we are seeing, and that's likely what it takes to make him happy. That's perfectly fine, because Parsons is just 26-years-old and arguably better than the guys who got fat paychecks this summer.

Even with Sweat's $19.1 million annual salary, that should not remotely create pause for the Cardinals to sign Parsons. The moment he joins the team, you give him a blank check and whatever he wants. I love Sweat, but he's not Parsons -- not even close.

For me, the toughest sell of all of this is the trade compensation. Moving your top three selections in an intriguing 2026 NFL Draft is a wild price to pay -- one I'm not sure I could sign off on. I am fine with sending two firsts and two day two picks, but I want to spread those out better. If I could move that third round pick to 2027, I'd do that in a heartbeat.

Collins would be ideal to move off considering his age relative to the rest of the room, but he's also being paid more than younger and more exciting guys. Selling Collins over someone like BJ Ojulari, Darius Robinson, or maybe even Jordan Burch may be tough.

But at the end of the day, Arizona has ensured the rights to one of the best pass rushers the league has seen in the last 10 years. He will come with a massive price to purchase, and one like this may be too much. Still, Parsons is guaranteed profit, and if they pulled the trigger on a deal this big, it could pay off.

It wouldn't sell well at first, but production from an elite player, perhaps even better, outweighs the cost.