Do Packers Have Ability to Trade for Micah Parsons?

Can the Green Bay Packers trade for Micah Parsons?

The short answer: The Packers absolutely could choose to pull off a blockbuster trade for the Dallas Cowboys’ All-Pro, who has reiterated his desire to play elsewhere. But, ultimately, it comes down to what they are willing to trade, and if they are willing to accept the tradeoffs, to make it happen.

Let’s dive in.

Parsons is on his fifth-year option salary of $24 million. The Packers could execute a trade and slide in his contract without causing an issue while under offseason salary-cap rules. Russ Ball would immediately tear up his existing contract, extend a new deal of at least $40 m illion per year, and the resulting 2025 cap number would be significantly less than the $24 million on his current contract.

The Packers’ typical veteran extension contract structure maximizes initial cash payments with lower salary caps in the first two years that tend to balloon in the later years. That said, a contract worth more than $40 million per season would put a significant dent into the 2025 and 2026 cap years.

Time for the tradeoffs.

First the Cowboys would need a treasure chest of draft picks to be willing to part with their four-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro player. Let’s just say two first-round picks (or player equivalents) plus maybe more. When I think of first-round picks, I equate them to eight years of premium talent under team control, so I view that the Packers would need to sacrifice 16 years of potential first-round, in-house talent for Parsons at age 26.