Should Rams make a play for Micah Parsons after Cowboys star requests a trade?
Micah Parsons made headlines on Friday when he officially requested a trade from the Dallas Cowboys due to their ongoing contract dispute. The two sides are reportedly far apart on a potential deal and Parsons made it clear he no longer wants to play for the team that drafted him.
Is this a golden opportunity for the Los Angeles Rams to swoop in with one of their patented big splashes?
It's the type of move Les Snead has never been afraid to make. The Rams traded for Von Miller during the 2021 season and he springboarded them to a Super Bowl ring. They also traded for Jalen Ramsey in 2019, signed Odell Beckham Jr. in 2021 and acquired Brandin Cooks in 2018.
Parsons is in a class of his own as a trade chip, being one of the best defenders anywhere in the league. He's a legitimate game-changer, someone offenses have to account for on every snap – just as they did with Aaron Donald each week.
Not to mention, he's only 26 years old and entering the prime of his career. Every season, he's one of the favorites to win Defensive Player of the Year and seems destined to win it at some point in the near future.
For a team like the Rams that already has the pieces to win a Super Bowl, Parsons would put them over the top. It would just take a lot to pry him from the Cowboys, who are reportedly not interested in trading him (obviously).
The starting point in trade negotiations would be at least a first- and second-round pick. After that, the Rams could include a player or two, or potentially another first-rounder. That's a high price to pay for a player in the final year of his contract, but that's what it takes to acquire proven pass rushers in today's NFL – especially ones as young as Parsons.
The biggest hurdle would be a contract extension. Parsons is on the books for $24 million this year alone and he likely wants to be the highest-paid pass rusher in the league on his next deal. T.J. Watt holds that crown at $41 million per year, a number Parsons will target in negotiations.
The problem for the Rams is they have core players to pay in the coming years. Kyren Williams, Cobie Durant and Quentin Lake will be free agents next offseason. Puka Nacua, Steve Avila, Kobie Turner and Byron Young are all eligible for extensions after this season and could be seeking new deals, too. The next year, it could be Jared Verse and Braden Fiske's turn.
As it stands right now, the Rams probably won't be able to pay all of those players. Add Parsons to the mix and it becomes nearly impossible. One way they could make it work is by potentially dealing one or two of those players to lighten the load salary cap-wise, but the Rams may not want to part with their young talent.
It's a long shot for the Rams to acquire Parsons but with Snead, nothing can be ruled out.
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