The Dallas Cowboys' trade of Micah Parsons understandably shook up the NFL as we sit less than a week away from the season opener. It leaves the Dallas pass rush in a very precarious position. Dante Fowler Jr. and Marshawn Kneeland appear to be the franchise's primary pass rushers when they match up against the Philadelphia Eagles on the NFL's opening night. The Cowboys will continue to be the talk of the league heading in for all the wrong reasons.
Parting ways with your best player while paying top dollar for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb is understandably going to raise questions and frustration. Still, there is no going back, and the only upgrade is going to be looking to free agency and adding one of the top two remaining pass rushers.
Bringing in either Jadeveon Clowney or Za'Darius Smith should be the next move Dallas makes as we close in on the season opener. There isn't any pretending either player is going to replace or come anywhere close to replacing the star power of Parsons, but the unit is short-handed and needs to attempt to replace the production by committee.
Cowboys Must Go Bargain Bin Shopping to Improve Struggling Pass Rush
Either Clowney or Smith is capable of producing a half dozen sacks and coming up with a handful of big moments. Both remain in free agency due to the inconsistent results and obvious lack of an elite ceiling. This is what the Cowboys have forced themselves into by handling the situation with Parsons as poorly as possible. Perhaps there was a Trey Hendrickson for Parsons swap that would have appeased two unhappy players.
More realistically, paying the star as soon as allowed would've kept this from ever becoming a concern or story. There are so many other paths the Cowboys could've chosen that didn't end with attempting to replace one of the most talented players in franchise history with a struggling veteran free agent. However, this is the reality of where the franchise now finds itself.
In truth, it is a testament to the fact that the front office and ownership have overstepped bounds and are more interested in being in the middle of a story than putting together a winning team. Leaving the Cowboys with no choice but to add one of the two veteran free agents and attempt to find another source of production.
Everything the Cowboys have built defensively is only going to work when Parsons is on the field. Now, you've crippled the unit and pushed your ceiling in the wrong direction, something neither Clowney nor Smith is going to change. Still, the move must be made in an attempt to improve a suddenly shaky unit.