With NFL free agency looming, the pass-rush market got a big shakeup this week. Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby agreed to a new deal to become the highest paid non-quarterback in the league with a three-year, $106.5 million extension.
All the while, conversations are taking place in Dallas with Micah Parsons. The Cowboys centerpiece is entering the final year of his contract and is looking to secure a new deal one year after Dallas locked in Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.
However, with Crosby’s new contract, the market is shifting. If the Cowboys wait too long, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero warned trade calls could be on the way.
“Micah Parsons, I know there have been initial talks on a contract in Dallas,” Pelissero said on The Rich Eisen Show. “If he doesn’t get a deal sooner than later, they’re going to get calls. I don’t know if they’re going to do anything with those calls, but if teams are looking at this and saying, ‘Why haven’t they wrapped him up?’ At a time that Maxx Crosby being the first non-quarterback to reset the highest-paid non-quarterback market, Rich, everybody else now – whether that’s Micah Parsons, whether that’s TJ Watt in Pittsburgh, whether that’s Aidan Hutchinson, Ja’Marr Chase, of course, in Cincinnati – everybody’s going to be looking at this going, ‘Why aren’t they moving more quickly on Micah?’
“I anticipate they’re going to get calls, as well, because you’re into the edge rusher market, you’re either paying $18, $20 million for Dayo Odeyingbo from the Colts. Again, not exactly a household name. Or you’re taking a swing on maybe some of those older pass rushers who are available – the Matt Judons and Haason Reddicks and Chase Youngs of the world.”
How Micah Parsons talks create ‘interesting scenario’
Despite Maxx Crosby’s lucrative new contract, the Cowboys reportedly aren’t changing their urgency level to get a deal done with Micah Parsons. But Tom Pelissero pointed out the reason Dallas will get calls if a deal doesn’t come to fruition soon.
The free agent market doesn’t have much high-end talent at edge, nor at other skill positions. This year’s NFL Draft is the same way. That adds to the intrigue around the trade market, and teams have already started to get creative. For example, Friday night, the Las Vegas Raiders orchestrated a trade for Geno Smith that shook things up.
The trade market will be one of the biggest storylines of free agency. As a result, teams could be active on the phones as they swing for the fences.
“It’s a really interesting scenario here, Rich,” Pelissero said. “Because again – and I don’t mean to discount free agency, by the way. … But in my mind, the big news that’s going to come out of this weekend and then into that early portion of next week leading into the official start of the league year on Wednesday, is going to be the teams who look out into a free agent market that’s just not that robust at a lot of the core positions, and a draft that particularly at places like receiver and quarterback.
“You may not be able to fill your needs and [are] going, ‘Who can we trade for? What can we come up with?’ And there may be even some things right now that are not necessarily being contemplated publicly that teams might be taking some swings at in the next few days
