Ravens Named Top Landing Spot For Micah Parsons

Dallas Cowboys All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons rocked the NFL world on Friday, officially requesting a trade from America's Team in the midst of a high-profile contract dispute.

As is the case when virtually any star player seemingly becomes available, fans and pundits instantly started thinking about where Parsons could end up if he does leave Dallas. He's one of the absolute best pass rushers in the game today, and any team would love to have him, even if they already have a stacked roster.

USA TODAY's Nick Brinkerhoff listed the Baltimore Ravens, one of the top Super Bowl contenders heading into this season, as one of the best fits for Parsons.

"Baltimore watched as Pittsburgh went all-in on 2025, but the Ravens remain the team to beat," Brinkerhoff wrote. "Making a big swing for a game-changer on defense is the kind of move that just might take them over the top. The Ravens have plenty of draft picks to deal and could also subtract from their current roster to sweeten the pot.

"For a team that has consistently fallen short in the postseason, someone of Parsons caliber is exactly what the doctor ordered in a loaded AFC."

There's no doubt that. the Ravens would love to have Parsons (who wouldn't?). Their pass rush is already quite strong, but they lack a true superstar edge rusher like their division rivals have, which Parsons would obviously be.

When looking at the big picture, however, this idea pretty much falls apart.

The Ravens aren't usually ones for acquiring big-name players via trade, and the draft captial they'd have to give up to acquire Parsons would almost certainly be too much for general manager Eric DeCosta to stomach. That assumes the Cowboys would even be willing to trade him, which they've given no indication of whatsoever.

Even if those stars aligned, the Ravens would still have to pay Parsons like a top-end pass rusher, which means around $40 million per year. Baltimore already doesn't have much cap space to work with over the next two years, and they still have to pay key players such as Lamar Jackson, Kyle Hamilton, Tyler Linderbaum and more. Unless they make some significant subtractions, adding that kind of money to their payroll just isn't feasible right now.

Again, Parsons would undoubtedly elevate the Ravens' defense, but the cost to do so is simply too great.