Dallas Cowboys fans are no strangers to Micah Parsons making an impact. On gameday, he's one of the most important players on the field by generating pressure and bringing down quarterbacks. Even as a run defender, he's beaten the allegations about him being mediocre, getting better every year whether it's setting the edge or making big stops.
But now that Parsons has to wait out the last few days of winter and the entirety of spring and summer before football games come, he's still looking for a way to make a difference.
Over the last few weeks, Parsons has been vocal about the Cowboys' need to be more aggressive, even suggesting a trade for Myles Garrett. He's explained on multiple media appearances that getting an extension done earlier rather than later would benefit Dallas and he's insisted he wants to make it happen so the front office is active in free agency.
The superstar defender made his most aggressive comments yet earlier this week via Patrik Walker from DallasCowboys,com in the aftermath of the Philadelphia Eagles' recent Super Bowl LIX victory.
"Obviously, talent is here, but we've just got to finish; and go be aggressive the same way (the Eagles) did," Parsons said. "I don't wanna sit back and just watch other people build and build and build and I [we] stay the same, so we definitely need some call to action."
Parsons took things one step further, explaining how the top teams in the NFL have made it work, an important quote considering the Cowboys' traditional response to questions on free agency which basically always comes down to "We're paying our guys too much and we can't spend the money!"
"I want to see us be aggressive, and I wanna see us get players that's gonna help us — that's gonna come in and make an impact," Parsons added. "And I wanna see us bring back our own players that are just as important, and let's see what we can do there. There's been a new wave in the NFL. You saw it with the Rams, and [even though they] drafted some of those guys, you always can't hit like that — you know what I mean? The 49ers went and got Javon Hargrave, and they went and got some impactful players on their side. …
Fans will naturally love one of the team's top players request an aggressive approach of the front office. The media, which has increasingly criticized the Cowboys' team-building approach will also agree with Parsons.
It would be a surprise if Jerry Jones and Co. are on the same page, considering how they've behaved in recent memory. However, if they were to be on board for Parsons' vision, the first step is clear and easy to pull off.
The first step Cowboys can take to listen to Parsons
It's simple: Open up cap space.
Even better: They can do so easily.
First off, contract restructures for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb would open up $57.7 million, per Over the Cap. The best part is that a restructure is automatic and doesn't change a thing for the player. It's not a pay cut. In simple terms, it means taking base salary for the season (which counts toward the salary cap) and converting it into a signing bonus (which can be prorated over the remainder of the contract, thus lowering that year's cap hit).
Those two restructures alone would take the Cowboys from being a projected two million over the cap all the way up to $55 million available in cap space.
The second move to open up more cap space is relatively simple, though it will take negotiating: Extending Micah Parsons himself before free agency. In 2025, he's due $24 million, all of which is currently base salary and as such it's what he's set to occupy in the salary cap. An extension would take as much as possible off of that salary and turn it into a signing bonus. Over the Cap projects an extension would open $18.3 million in cap space for 2025.
Just like that, we're at $73.3 million in available salary cap space. That's plenty to go out there and spend on free agency if the Cowboys really want to build the best team possible for the upcoming season.
Now granted, Dallas hasn't been big on spending in recent years so even though they'll be extending players for cap management, the key part is doing something after the restructures. My take? Don't get yo
