Packers acquire Cowboys star Micah Parsons: breaking down trade using Pff data

• The packers get one of the best defenders of the NFL: Parsons is in second place in the Pff war since 2021 and Boslters a matte pass rush.

• Where are the cowboys from here?: Dallas could turn to Donovan Ezeiruaku for short-term answers, but the other high-paid stars of the team are now in the country of No-Man.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

In an NFL outdoor season full of stunning transactions and transactions, the competition was still lurking a showstopper rabbit in his hat.

With just a week until the start of the regular season, the Dallas Cowboys Superstar Edge Rusher Micah exchanged Parsons On the Green Bay Packers in exchange for two first round picks and defensive Lineman Kenny Clark. The movement comes afterwards Parsons’The search for a new contract has been dragged through with minimal traction for more than a year. Green Bay jumped, make Parsons The best paid non-quarterback in the NFL after four years and $ 188 million.

With PFF data as a backbone, let’s break out how this gigantic movement of both teams influences – and the rest of the NFL.

The storage defense of Green Bay solves his biggest gap

In the first season with the new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley who called the shots, the defense of the packers quickly turned around. The defense of Green Bay ended 2024 Sleut 13^one In the General Pff -Graise, 15^one In EPA each, bound for the fourth in average yards per piece allowed and bound for 11^one Allowed in first downs. For context, in 2023, Green Bay was 26^one In EPA each, 20^one In the total pff and 29^one In success rate.

Yet the Packers’ Pass Rush was faint. Green Bay concluded 23 last year^RD In Pff Passrushing degree under defensive lines and 19^one In the profit percentage of the Passrush (37.2%). Furthermore, no packers defensive lineman exceeded to play 250 Pass-Rushing Snaps a 72.0 pff pass-rush grade or a 12.9% pass-Rush win.

Enter Parsons. The first round Pick 2021 has obtained a 91.6 pff pass-rush grade and 19.3% Passrush Win Rate in every season of his decorated four-year career. In that period, the dual all-pro is in third place in total generated pressure (349) and first in Pass-Rush productivity (at least 500 snaps).

Green Bay noticeably did not prioritize Edge Rusher via a free desk or the design, instead aimed at positions such as a broad recipient, cornerback and guard. It is safe to say that, even in the midst of questions, general manager Brian Gutekunst has now heartily tackled that care.

The shaky defense of Dallas takes a colossal hit

The cowboys ended 2024 with a record of 7-10 and arranged 25^one In the general pff figure. Roof Prescott’s hamstring injury in week 9 was a death bell of many species, but the defense of the team also declined for a long time, and placed 31^stem In EPA each, 23^RD In success rate and 27^one In Team Defense Pff quality.

Although Parsons Only played 694 Snaps because of an ankle injury, he still achieved a great 90.0 general pff quality and 70 pressure with Dallas last year. Even at Parsons Part of the year on the field, the cowboys were still one of the most sensitive defenses of the competition, especially against the run – where the unit for 30^one In Pff Run-Defense Grade and the second most first downs stood on the floor.

The short answer is that there is no immediate way to replace Parsons’Production. Dallas signed interior defender Osa Odighizuwa (60 editions in 2024) and design Prand Rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku (90.4 Pff Pass-Rushing degree in 2024) in the second round, but the group is now without one of the most important edge rushers in the NFL-and one that of several gaps. Players like Sam Williams (All 2024 missed) and Marshawn Kneeland (53.4 Pff Passrushing number) go up the pecking order.

In particular, the interior defense of the team remains very doubtful. Adding Clark successfully gives the unit a veteran in the past, but last season he deployed his worst general PFF degree (60.0) with only 9.3% Pass-Rush Win Rate and a 58.4 PFF Run-Defense figure. In the meantime, the former pick of the first round Mazi Smith still has to bloom and in 2024 only produce a general pff figure of 34.8.

The packers raise their competition status

Even before you acquire ParsonsThe packers were considered one of the better teams in the NFC and even in the wider NFL. Pff Power Rankings projected the team for 9.6 wins-the seventh highest in Pro Football-with a 56% chance of making the play-offs.

Those predictions will certainly get a nice boost after this milestone movement. Parsons Rangt second in the NFL among defending players in Pff -Wint above replacement (2.70) Since he debuted, only Myles Garrett chased. Green Bay has a considerable part of his future assets to land, a significant part of his future assets ParsonsBut it is not often that a player of his caliber and age comes through to be available.

Now the packers can very well become the front runners in a charged NFC North, if not legitimate super bowl opportunities. Pff Power Rankings granted Green Bay a 31% chance to win the division before this trade, which was second behind the Lions with 35%. In addition, the 5% Super Bowl opportunities from Green Bay-De Sixth Best in the competition figure to peak, possibly up to the second behind the Eagles (9%) in the NFC.

The short and long-term front views of the cowboys is cloudy

The cowboys danced around one Parsons Expansion for a whole year even though he could pay him a whole summer ago. Now the team pays the price – both currently and in the line.

With Prescott back after playing only 500 snaps, Trevon Diggs and Daron Bland back after combining only 1,119 snaps in 2024 and after obtaining George Pickens of the Steelers in May, there was optimism for Dallas to look more like 2023 form – especially with a new coaching staff. But after he had now exchanged one of the most important players in the NFL, the team window of the team was certainly narrowed in 2025.

Where does that Prescott, the best paid player of the NFL who enters his age-32 season? Or Ceedee Lamb, who has just signed a four -year extension of $ 136 million last summer? Or boring, who built up a general pff figure of 89.5 in 2023, but will be a free agent next spring?

The cowboys could still try to be competitive this year with an attack-heavy approach, but it is becoming much more difficult to convince his remaining stars that owner Jerry Jones is actively trying to keep the best possible schedule intact. Expect more trade calls about the best players in Dallas, because even the brightest star was not off the block.