Grading Packers’ Trade for Micah Parsons

Combined, the financial components of the monster paydays to Parsons and quarterback Jordan Love will challenge Gutekunst for the foreseeable future, while the lack of first-round picks will challenge Gutekunst to fill holes – including the one created by trading Clark.

If it doesn’t work, the Packers are screwed.

However, when asked about the price tag in terms of talent and treasure, one high-ranking NFL executive said:

“I think that’s cheap. Should’ve at least been a few more mid-round picks in there. The contract is more iffy than the picks.”

Even with the record contract, would the executive, who is on a GM track, have made the trade?

“Yes,” he said quickly.

Why? Because Parsons is so good that the draft picks and the money don’t really matter. There aren’t many truly great players in the NFL. Parsons is one of them. He can win a game on any given snap.

It was fitting that the video that Parsons posted on X ended with highlights of White destroying everyone in his path.

Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is a smart man. Last year, he didn’t have an elite pass rusher and he didn’t have an elite cornerback but still cobbled together a defense that ranked sixth in points allowed. He’ll figure out a way to get Parsons rolling in no time.

Parsons lined up all over Dallas’ defense, and he almost certainly will with Green Bay once he’s fully acclimated. A linebacker at Penn State, he could join Quay Walker and Edgerrin Cooper off the ball. An elite pass rusher, he can line up on the edge with Rashan Gary, with Lukas Van Ness moving inside.

Whatever Hafley throws at him, he should be able to handle it. Esteemed defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer ran Dallas’ defense last season. He called Parsons “brilliant.”

“We’re going to obviously move him around, do different things with him,” Zimmer said. “We’re going to use him in some ways where we’re getting the protection turned the way we want it turned and able to win on the other side. Sometimes, we’re going to overload a protection where he gets one-on-one.”

Parsons is a premier pass rusher but he’s also an all-around defender. That’s why the executive downplayed concerns about Green Bay’s run defense without Clark.

“This is an impactful move for them,” he said. “You can try [to run the ball all game] but you’ve got to block him.”

Ultimately, this is a high-risk, high-reward trade. But this is Titletown. The goal should be to win Super Bowls, not wild-card games. Sometimes, there seemed to be a lack of urgency to make the big move. Or, perhaps more accurately, a fear to make the big move.

But what a stunning few months. First, the team that doesn’t draft receivers in the first round drafted Matthew Golden. Now, the team that never makes a big trade made the biggest trade imaginable.

Whether it works or not – and by “work,” we mean win the Super Bowl – remains to be seen. But doing big things means trying big things. The Packers probably weren’t going to win the Super Bowl without Parsons. Heck, given the power of the NFC North, it wouldn’t have been a total shock if the Packers had finished in last place. Now, with the modern equivalent of signing White and Woodson, they’ve got a chance to do something super.

Grade: A.