Cowboys mailbag: Understanding Jerry Jones and would Dallas consider dealing Micah Parsons?

Thank you to everybody who asked questions in our near midseason Dallas Cowboys mailbag. If you missed it, you can still drop questions here and we may get to it down the road. But there’s a lot to get to here, mainly regarding Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones, as well as considering the future of a couple of key players on the defense.

I pretty much checked out as a Cowboys fan after the “all in” offseason, and today’s comments from Jerry (Jones) reinforced my decision. … What does accountability look like for him at this point? And when does he assume culpability for the failures of the last couple decades? — Paul W.

Initially, I thought Jones’ exchange on 105.3 The Fan was premeditated to make sure the Cowboys were still in the national dialogue, making headlines and leading debate shows. Maybe it was even to shift the focus away from a bad on-field product and a lame-duck head coach. In his own words a few months ago, Jones admitted that he likes to “try to stir it up” because “that’s good. Be relevant. It works.”

But Jones’ comments to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini forced me to change my viewpoint. I’m sure Jones is happy with the Cowboys getting attention but my interpretation of Jones’ outburst has gone from calculated marketing move to the tensions of his football team reaching a boiling point and getting to Jones.

You can hear it in how much he brings up the offense during this off-kilter start to the season. Jones is getting most of the blame for the team’s struggles — rightfully so, in my opinion — but he feels an offense led by an offensive-minded head coach, the highest-paid player in NFL history and the second-highest paid non-quarterback in the league should mask his shortcomings — some of which, by the way, have to do with how (and when) he signed those players to contract extensions.

That brings us to the heart of your question, regarding accountability. It’s not hyperbolic to say that Jones sits at the top of the chain in the NFL. He’s the owner and general manager of the most valuable franchise in the world. He has three Lombardi trophies and a gold jacket. As bad as things can get in the moment for Jones, it’s not too shabby, in the big picture.

The two paths of accountability I see are fan support and media questions. The Cowboys are a mammoth organization and three decades of mediocrity hasn’t stopped fans from packing the stadium, purchasing merchandise and offering other means of financial support. Business is booming for Jones, so it’s hard to see that changing anything. On the football side, Jones is able to put a product out there that’s just good enough but still gets him all of the attention. When he’s asked questions about the shortcomings, he usually has thick enough skin to offer world-salad answers and go about his day, Tuesday morning notwithstanding.

That’s what the accountability looks like for somebody who holds so much power. And if you’re waiting for a true sense of accountability for the failures of the past two decades, you’ll be waiting a long time.

It’s clear Jerry (and his son) need to be fired and a real GM put in place. Will any reporter in Cowboys world ask Jerry that question? — Jeff S.

As somebody who has been around Jones on a regular basis since 2015, I always find the notion that Jones doesn’t get asked tough, pointed questions amusing. Maybe it’s that Jones does so much media that some of those questions get lost in the shuffle but I can assure you, Jones has been asked pretty much any fair question you can come up with. I’ve covered Jones since I was 20 years old and been there when he’s been grilled about everything, from national anthem stuff to an old photo of him in Arkansas amidst racial tensions to paternity lawsuits and everything in between.

Jones has certainly been asked about pretty much any football question under the sun regarding the Cowboys and their decades-long ineptitude. Just because you may not like the answer — or he may not answer the question — doesn’t mean the question hasn’t been asked. This mailbag question from Jeff is a great example of that.

Here’s the final question, asked by longtime Dallas columnist Tim Cowlishaw, to Jones in this year’s opening news conference at training camp: “Jerry, as far as you being all-in, Mike (McCarthy)’s job is on the line, the other coach’s jobs are on the line. The general manager’s job is not on the line. Stephen’s (Jones) job is not on the line. Thirty-one other organizations don’t do it this way. The only thing that happens here is coaches get recycled, and you’ve made eight coaching hires. Why does this make sense for the Cowboys when nobody else does it this way?”

I won’t bore you with the five-minute non-answer that Jones gave but the point is, the question has been asked. And I can tell you, that’s far from the only time.

Should the Cowboys consider making a Herschel Trade 2.0 by moving Micah Parsons? — Mark L.

I don’t think this is a flagrant question but I don’t think the Cowboys should consider trading Parsons, at least for now. This is a question of how one believes Parsons offers the most value to the Cowboys — as a player or as a trade asset? Let’s look at both.

In his first three NFL seasons, Parsons has finished in the top three of Defensive Player of the Year voting every year. His impact on the field is massive. It almost doesn’t matter what stat you look at, Parsons was among the best in the league from 2021 through 2023:

•  His 40 1/2 sacks were fourth-best.

•  His 260 pressures, according to TruMedia, were tied with Nick Bosa for second-best.

• His 88 quarterback hits were third-best.

• 169 hurries second-best and his 21.2 pressure percentage fifth-best.

Tailing off at the end of seasons has been a problem but by almost any measure, Parsons has been a top-five pass rusher in the NFL. While I don’t like to talk about officiating, it is also true that Parsons doesn’t draw nearly as many holding calls as he should. His play opens up things for other players as well, on the defensive front but also in the secondary. He plays arguably the second-most important position on a football team and is one of the best at his craft. That’s an extremely hard talent to find.

Now, let’s explore Parsons’ value as a trade asset. Although it wouldn’t match the ridiculousness of the Herschel Walker trade, the Cowboys could get a major haul, something to the tune of multiple first-round picks, some decent roster players and a handful of other draft picks. With the Cowboys investing nearly $100 million in Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, not to mention potential paydays coming up for guys like Tyler Smith and DaRon Bland, they need to really dig in to their existing approach of draft and develop.

I was interested in considering that, until Sept. 8, when the Cowboys signed Prescott to a massive contract extension. If the Cowboys were going to let Prescott play out this season and then be in the market for a new quarterback, essentially entering a rebuild, of sorts, I think the haul Parsons would bring could help the Cowboys acquire a few quality young pieces that would fit the mold of what the next head coach would want. Maybe the return from the trade could even help the Cowboys get their next franchise quarterback.

With the Cowboys committed to Prescott, the team can’t realistically go into a legitimate rebuild. Some may see my premise and say signing Prescott and Lamb is why they need to be accumulating cheap talent through the draft, and I hear that. But I think having Parsons — because of the caliber of player he is — on the team is how the Cowboys can get the most value out of him, at least for the time being.

I think you can consider options with Parsons at the 2025 trade deadline but I’d go into next season with him in the fold.

With Trevon Diggs being paid a lot of money for a player with an aversion to tackling and the emergence of DaRon Bland, should the Cowboys look at trading Diggs to free up cap space, albeit that may get redeployed to Bland in time? — Geoff C.

I don’t think the Cowboys would necessarily look to trade Diggs for cap space but I could see him being somebody the Cowboys were willing to trade if they were trying to make a deal to acquire another player or draft pick. That would have less to do with Diggs, though, and more to do with the situation brewing in the secondary, as you alluded to.

Bland’s emergence as an All-Pro talent last year was unexpected. The Cowboys expected him to be good but not that good, that fast. His big payday is coming soon and the Cowboys will have a decision to make. If I had the option today to only commit to one of the two cornerbacks, I would select Bland over Diggs. I think Diggs is a great playmaker and plays the ball in the air better than any Dallas cornerback I can remember, this side of Deion Sanders. But Bland is the more complete cornerback, and a little younger. Jourdan Lewis, the primary slot cornerback, is 29 years old but playing at a high level and a great locker-room guy, so the Cowboys could look to keep him around a while longer. Then, it comes down to the belief they have in Caelen Carson. It’s too early to issue a verdict on him, one way or the other, but the Cowboys like what they have in the 2024 draft pick.

(Top photo of Micah Parsons: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)