The Dallas Cowboys have very pressing concerns in attempting to retain Dak Prescott, Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb. Prescott and Lamb are both heading into the final season of their deals, but Parsons is also moving towards a lucrative new contract.
Former Cowboys scout Bryan Broaddus believes the front office may explore a blockbuster trade for Parsons if Prescott does not take less money. The longtime NFL scout explained that Dallas would not only save money but net significant draft capital by moving the star defender.
“[Prescott] could offer them a solution to try and get things done [by taking less money],” Broaddus explained during a July 19, 2024, episode of “Love of the Star” podcast. “If they don’t do that, I see Micah Parsons being potentially traded from this organization.
“… I believe where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and I think there’s a lot of smoke about Micah Parsons right now. Even though his contract is the furthest away from having to deal with it. There’s tags and things like that you can use. My gut feeling is he might fetch the most draft capital of the three players [via trade], if that makes sense.”
Cowboys Star Micah Parsons Is Projected to Land a 5-year, $200 Million Contract
Parsons is heading into the final season of a four-year, $17 million rookie contract. The Cowboys have already picked up Parsons’ fifth-year option for 2025.
This keeps Parsons under contract for at least another two seasons, and Dallas has the franchise tag to potentially use on the star in 2027. The challenge is Parsons is going to eventually need to get paid. Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton projected that Parsons will earn a five-year, $200 million contract, with $130 million in guaranteed money, on his next deal.
“If he wins 2024 Defensive Player of the Year, the Dallas Cowboys will likely have to sign off on a record-setting deal to satisfy his contract demands,” Moton wrote in a July 16, article titled, “Projecting Contracts for NFL Players Who Could Reset Major Position Markets in 2025.”
“… On top of that, Parsons has the versatility to impact the game in different ways as an edge-rusher and off-ball linebacker. Parsons isn’t worried about a contract extension because he knows that his big payday will come soon.”
Cowboys Vice President Stephen Jones on Keeping the Team’s Stars: ‘It’s a Challenge’
Prescott and Lamb are also projected to land sizable deals with these bills coming due sooner than Parsons. The Dallas quarterback is projected to land a four-year, $212.2 million deal, per Spotrac. This is a significant raise from his current four-year, $160 million contract, if it comes to fruition.
Spotrac projects Lamb could ink a four-year, $136.1 million contract. This is a sizable jump from his four-year, $14 million rookie deal and even his $17.9 million salary for his fifth-year option in 2024. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones admitted that it will be challenging to retain all of the team’s stars.
“We’re trying to a little bit play Houdini in how to keep all these guys around Dak,” Jones explained in an interview on The Athletic’s “Scoop City” podcast during a July 19 episode. “And keep these players we were fortunate enough to draft. And when you start stacking them up like that, it’s a challenge. It’s not that it’s not doable, but you certainly gotta have some give and take if you want to do that.”
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Cowboys Trading Superstar Has a ‘Lot of Smoke,’ Says Ex-Dallas Scout