FRISCO, Texas -- The Micah Parsons trade is one of the biggest NFL moves of the last 20 years. It deserves all of the attention it's receiving as the Dallas Cowboys are two days away from opening the season against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
The Cowboys were a projected eight-win team before the All-Pro pass rusher was sent to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks. It's pretty obvious, the 2025 Cowboys are unlikely to be better without Parsons.
"I mean we added a great player," Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said. "Obviously got some picks for the future. I'm not going to say we're better. We've got to go out there and prove it. We would have to prove it even if (Parsons) was on this team, so I'm not going to say that by any means."
Are people underestimating what this year's Cowboys team can be?
"Absolutely," wide receiver CeeDee Lamb said. "But it's fine."
As devastating as the blockbuster move might still seem to some, Dallas continues preparing for its first season with Brian Schottenheimer as head coach. The Cowboys received good news Monday as the injury report showed only one player, defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey (back), was not a full participant. Cornerback Trevon Diggs (knee), left tackle Tyler Guyton (knee) and tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford all appear to have a realistic shot to play Thursday. Diggs put himself at a 75-80 percent chance.
To get you ready for the season opener, here are some thoughts about the Cowboys after watching their last six weeks of practices:
In the wake of the Parsons trade, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones mentioned potentially using the draft picks they received in the trade to upgrade the current roster. Many have pointed to edge rusher as a position of need with the four-time Pro Bowler now in Green Bay. But it doesn't appear the team feels there's as big of a hole as those on the outside. Part of the reason they were willing to make the deal is because of the upside they've seen in Sam Williams, Marshawn Kneeland and Donovan Ezeiruaku. They also like veterans Dante Fowler and James Houston. That's the group that did a good job of getting after Prescott throughout training camp as Parsons wasn't practicing. They won't produce like Parsons, but look for the pass rush to be better than expected.
"Sam has been out for a year, so he's fresh, he's ready to go," Fowler said when asked about the younger defensive ends. "Donovan is coming of a (16 1/2) sack season in college, and it translated to the NFL very well. Marshawn, he got his feet wet very early, playing as a rookie. People don't know how big of an advantage that is to go out there as a rookie and be able to play in the trenches as a pro. That's very tough. Once you get that on your belt and you get your feet wet, you'll be ready to go.
"Donovan, he just naturally pass rushes. He can wake up out of bed and rush. Just like our James Houston can. I like the way he rushes. I like our edge rushers. ... I think the combination (of the new coaches) and the hungriness of the guys in the room, we'll be ready to go."
Depending on how they perform, edge rusher could be in play early in next year's draft. But this year looks like one that will depend on what they currently have in the room.
Yes, they just paid DaRon Bland and Diggs is returning earlier than expected, but there are still concerns at corner because of Diggs and Shavon Revel coming back from major knee injuries. Kaiir Elam has looked good in training camp. He's playing with a lot of confidence. But at least three quality corners are needed in today's NFL. If Diggs is ready, another move is probably not needed. But if he has issues and no one else steps up, cornerback might still need an upgrade. It's also a position that could be in play early in next year's draft. The Cowboys could move on from Diggs in the offseason. Elam is in the final year of his rookie deal. There is still no news on when Revel could potentially return. He continues to work on the resistance cords during the portion of practice open to reporters.
Javonte Williams has been the No. 1 back throughout training camp. The Cowboys thought so much of him they didn't even have him play in the preseason. Rookie Jaydon Blue also figures to be a major factor. They also have veteran Miles Sanders and fullback Hunter Luepke. Significant investments weren't used on any of these players. Because we haven't seen the first-team offense actually in a situation where they're being tackled to the ground, it's difficult to accurately predict the success of the running game, especially with some new pieces on the offensive line -- right guard Tyler Booker, new OL coach Conor Riley. If the backs can't get the job done, the position could need to be upgraded during the season.
There were a lot of questions about how he would fit in after things ended poorly in Pittsburgh. But Pickens has done a good job of fitting in, not just with Prescott and Lamb but also with the rest of the locker room. It's clear he's a fan of how he's being used in the offense, getting the ability to show off other parts of his game.
Prescott and Lamb hit the ground running from the start of training camp. It didn't take Prescott and Pickens long to be in a good spot, hitting on huge plays. While he's going to have chances to make plays off any route, the most intriguing is probably in the red zone. At 6-3, 200 pounds, Pickens could be an option inside the 5 like Dez Bryant was, especially if the running game is struggling in short yardage. There were times during red zone work when Pickens and Lamb lined up on the same side, forcing the safety to make a decision of who to leave one-on-one. If it's Pickens, Prescott just needs to throw it up. Also, this has the makings of a season where a lot of points are needed each week. There should be plenty of opportunities for Lamb and Pickens to put up big numbers.
"I feel like we can get off on the ground running," Pickens said of the passing game. "We had a lot of reps in the offseason, going to Georgia, we throw routes a lot. So, I feel like we can come off hot."
We don't know how things will go during the season. He has to win games. But up to this point, the new head coach has done well with some areas that are common to the Cowboys -- distractions. When he took the job in January, he probably was not expecting the team to trade its best player right before Week 1. But Schottenheimer has calmly carried himself with confidence. He's done a good job of showing very little in terms of offensive and defensive scheme. The argument can be made that more will be learned about Dallas' offense in the first half Thursday night than was displayed during four weeks in Oxnard, Calif. Maybe that will backfire on him. Maybe he should have gotten the starters some preseason work.
Behind the scenes, Schottenheimer has appeared to have built a strong locker room culture. Does that help them win more games? We'll soon find out. But up to this point, there's nothing the new coach has done that jumps out as a potential notable mistake.