OXNARD, Calif. — Let’s start with a simple premise: The Dallas Cowboys have no intention of trading Micah Parsons. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones said as much on Saturday, a day after the Pro Bowl edge rusher made his trade request.
But it’s Jones, and it has been better to have a never-say-never attitude when it comes to just about anything. In 1989, the Cowboys reset the franchise by trading their best player, Herschel Walker, to the Minnesota Vikings, which set Dallas on its way to winning three Super Bowls in the 1990s
So maybe the Cowboys will listen to a deal that would bowl them over, even if it might not be the best for success in 2025.
With that out of the way, what would the Cowboys’ pass rush look like without Parsons on the edge?
Parsons has 52.5 sacks in his first four seasons.
Dante Fowler Jr. has 55.5 in 10 seasons. Sam Williams, who did not play last season because of a torn ACL in his left knee, had 8.5 sacks in his first two seasons. Marshawn Kneeland did not have a sack during 11 games in 2024, his rookie season. Payton Turner, a free agent pickup, had five sacks in four seasons with the New Orleans Saints. Then there’s 2025 second-round pick Donovan Ezeiruaku, who has looked good early in camp.
Likely unintentionally, Fowler did not mention Parsons when talking about the other pass rushers, although Parsons has yet to practice in training camp.
“I love this pass-rush room for sure,” Fowler said.
New defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus praised Parsons’ work behind the scenes, wanting to understand what he needs to do so when he hits the practice field with or (theoretically) without a deal.
“He’s [got] elite intelligence. Obviously an elite talent,” Eberflus said. “We’re excited to be able to move him around throughout the whole entire line, but also excited about the other pass rushers that we do have to create other mismatches. Micah’s a big part of that because you know he’s going to get most of the attention and that will free up other guys. But we’re also finding ways to free him up.”
Williams has promised a breakout 2025 after missing last season. He has been active throughout training camp, even pushing the edge with some hits in non-padded practice.
“Sam Williams is having a hell of a camp,” Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “Nobody’s surprised by that just because we know the type of athlete he is. The speed, the power.”
Ezeiruaku has been one of the most impressive players in training camp, impacting the quarterback daily. Maybe it has not been to the level of Parsons, but the Cowboys have liked everything he has done and are even more surprised they were able to draft him at pick No. 44.
“I give [defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton] credit,” Dallas executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “He was on the table for him at 12 [in the first round]. He was jumping up and down saying, ‘This guy is the 12th pick. Let’s get him.'”
Ezeiruaku said he has studied pass rushers such as Cowboys’ Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware, Parsons, Von Miller, Nick Bosa, T.J. Watt and Yannick Ngakoue. At 6-foot-2, Ezeiruaku is not as tall as other pass rushers, but Parsons is listed at 6-3.
“Just credit to learning, watching a lot of film,” Ezeiruaku said. “Obviously a lot of reps. We have this saying you guys might have heard: 10,000 reps. That’s what it’s taken so far, and I know what it’s going to continue to take to get to that level.”
At different times during practices, Parson has sidled up to Ezeiruaku to give him thoughts. Fowler, who had 10.5 sacks last season for the Washington Commanders, has been a fan of the rookie.
“He plays with an edge,” Fowler said. “Everybody that plays on the edge, they kind of got that ‘it’ factor. They know they [are] one of them guys. If you can go out there with confidence being a defensive end, you already got an edge on then. I love Don’s confidence. He led college football in sacks last year, so his confidence is really good in the way he plays out there. I can see he’s a special guy.”
It’s too much to ask anybody to be Parsons.
Only Hall of Famers Reggie White (70), Derrick Thomas (58) and Ware, plus future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt (57), have recorded more sacks in their first four seasons than Parsons, since sacks became an official stat in 1982.
Parsons reached 12 sacks last season despite missing four games with a high ankle sprain.
While Jones was not ready to say Parsons would play Sept. 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles, he remains confident a deal will be worked out.
A pass rush with Parsons might be among the best the Cowboys have had in recent years, opening up possibilities for Eberflus. A pass rush without Parsons wouldn’t be the same, but the Cowboys like what they have.
“We can create problems with people because of the way we play initially with the attack front,” Schottenheimer said. “But also with the depth that we have on the defensive line.”
