The Jaguars Shouldn't Make a Micah Parsons Trade

Micah Parsons has been the subject of trade rumors ever since his reported contract dispute with the Cowboys. Parsons has been playing on his rookie contract the past four seasons and has been eligible for an extension for close to a year now with no deal in sight. Parsons who has registered 12 or more sacks in each of his first four seasons is considered one of the NFL's top pass rushers and will have a robust market should the Cowboys make him available. However, the Jacksonville Jaguars should stay out of that market at the price the Cowboys would most likely ask if he became available for a number of reasons.

For starters, the Jags already used their 2026 first round pick to trade up in the 2025 draft and select Travis Hunter. Based on how the league/media views Parsons coupled with the fact that he plays one of the most important and highly valued position in the league his price will most likely start with multiple first round picks and a player or two. While the Jaguars are led by two people who were in the building for the "---- them picks" era of the LA Rams at various points they are just simply in a different spot than the Rams were when they took that approach. The Rams were multiple years into the Sean McVay era when they decided to start throwing around first round picks. They had already reached a super bowl and assembled a roster deep enough to survive not acquiring more top end talent via the draft. They had also just dumped Jared Goff for Matthew Stafford who had already established himself as a top 10 guy and was much closer to the end of his career than Trevor Lawrence is currently. The Rams believed they were a few talented pieces away from winning big and took their shot in a much shorter super bowl window. If the pairing of new coach Liam Coen and quarterback Trevor Lawrence works out Jacksonville's super bowl window could be open for the next decade and would benefit far more from the addition and development of multiple first round picks.

It would be hard to imagine a world in which the Jacksonville Jaguars acquire Micah Parsons and don't lose former number 1 pick Travon Walker. Whether the Cowboys want him back in the deal or the Jaguars just simply can't afford to pay him, Josh Hines-Allen, and give Parsons a new deal when he comes over, Walker would most likely be gone. Walker came out of Georgia a very raw pass rusher and struggled his rookie season but has posted double digit sacks in back to back seasons. While he's not on Parsons level as a pass rusher yet, it's still unknown what Walkers peak his. Travon Walker is also flies under the radar as an elite run defender. So the questions Jacksonville would have to answer are, should they use more high draft picks while giving up on Travon Walkers development and are they sure Parsons will end up being 10-15 million dollars a year better than Walker since that's most likely how much more Parson's new deal would end up being over a Walker extension.

Lastly there just isn't a great history of teams going big for as top tier pass rusher and it paying off come playoff time. The obvious example that comes to mind is Khalil Mack being traded from the Raiders to the Bears in a blockbuster deal that similarly included multiple firsts and more being sent to the Raiders. While the Bears did go 12-4 that year and Mack had good year with 12.5 sacks the Bears would go on to lose in the playoffs. It would only get worse for the Bears as they would go 8-8 the next year and move on move on from Trubisky. Things would continue to go south as a lack of picks left the team with many options to improve the roster. If somehow things go a similar way for Jacksonville and they decide they have to move on from Lawrence, a lack of picks could keep them in a bad spot for the next 2-5 years much like the Bears were.

For these reasons the Jacksonville Jaguars should trust the duo of Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen (led the NFL in sacks as a duo in 2023) to handle its pass rush instead of taking a big swing on Micah Parson's. If the paring of Coen and Lawrence works Jacksonville should be doing all it can to keep the potential super bowl window open for as long as possible instead of possibly shortening or shutting it completely with a big trade now. There will be plenty of opportunities for the Jags to take a swing in the future if this current staff shows it knows how to get Trevor Lawrence back to looking like a top 10 QB and this team back to being true playoff contenders.

By Peyton Ferebee