Another defensive player not named Micah Parsons (Derek Stingley Jr.) has gotten a long-term contract. And with each defensive player who raises the bar at his position gets paid, the Parsons predicament becomes more pronounced for the Cowboys.
In a new article for the Dallas Morning News, Calvin Watkins asks, “Do the Cowboys have a Micah Parsons problem?”
Yes, they do. He’s signed for one more year. His second contract is overdue. And it would have been cheaper if they’d done it a year ago.
Now, the minimum will be $40.3 million per year in new money, a small click above the $40.25 million per year that the Bengals have paid to receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Who beat the previous high for non-quarterbacks of $40 million per year.
Here’s the real question. Are the Cowboys delaying because that’s what they do? Or are there questions about whether they’re willing to ever make a major investment in Parsons?
In his article, Watkins mentions lingering concerns about Parsons’s habit of skipping voluntary offseason workouts. Although they’re voluntary, teams want the players to volunteer to attend — especially their highest-paid and most important players.
Then there’s his podcast and social-media habit. Safety Malik Hooker publicly questioned Parsons’s podcasting last year, and Parsons didn’t appreciate it. Per Watkins, Hooker’s locker was moved after training camp from close to Parsons to the other side of the locker room. (Hooker downplayed the shift.) More recently, former Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence capped a social-media skirmish with Parsons by saying, “Maybe if you spent less time tweeting and more time winning, I wouldn’t have left.”
So, yes, there’s a problem. And the first step toward resolving it will be establishing a firm timeline for getting a new contract in place. He absolutely should not show up for anything until the deal is done. (He shouldn’t have shown up last year, frankly, when he made only $3 million.) And if the Cowboys aren’t ready to make that kind of investment in a guy whom they fear might not be “all in” with the team, they need to get all out of the Micah Parsons business, at a time when they can secure a sizable haul in exchange for his contractual rights.
That’s not to say they should. They just need to make a decision and act on it. Keep him or trade him. Crap. Or get off the crapper.
Read the full article here
