The Dallas Cowboys have an elite pass rusher in Micah Parsons, so you would think that they wouldn't hesitate to take care of him. However, that hasn't been the case. Instead of giving him a top-market contract, the "Boys" have been dragging their feet. This has led the four-time Pro Bowl nod to request a trade. The truth is that the whole situation could've been avoided, and it's hard to tell how things will play out, but the ordeal makes the Jacksonville Jaguars look great in comparison.
Parsons is one of the five most dominant pass rushers in the NFL, so he deserves a contract that reflects that. Unfortunately, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones hasn't negotiated in good faith, failing to include Parsons' agent in contract talks. Couple that with the fact that the embattled owner called out his best player for missing four games, not six as he suggested, and it's easy to see why his patience grew thin.
It's worth noting that Jones loves drama and the spotlight, so he might be putting in a show and will ultimately give Parsons a top-market deal. That said, he may be burning bridges along the way. The four-year edge rusher most definitely doesn't appreciate it. Not.One.Bit.
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The Jaguars can navigate the Travon Walker contract with James Gladstone at the helm
While the Cowboys have to navigate the Micah Parsons chaos, the Jaguars will need to decide how to handle contract talks with fourth-year pass rusher Travon Walker. The good news is that signs point toward the situation ending in a satisfactory way for everyone involved in Jacksonville.
Parsons has posted 53.5 sacks and nine forced fumbles the past four seasons. Walker hasn't been as dominant but has improved every year and is poised to break out in 2025. This makes you think that the Jaguars' brass will want to initiate talks sooner rather than later, and the more they wait, the more money they'll have to fork out.
For the time being, the team has praised Walker and said all the right things. The Jags didn't hesitate to pick up his fifth-year options, so it's fair to expect him to get a deal done at some point between now and next year. But regardless of when they get it done, it surely won't reach Cowboys levels of dreadful.
You could make the case that Trent Baalke didn't operate with a sense of urgency when giving Josh Hines-Allen a new deal, but even then, both sides reached an agreement before things truly got ugly. Moreover, Baalke is gone.
You could also mention the fact that the Jaguars got into a stalemate with cornerback Jalen Ramsey in 2019 and chose to trade Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue rather than paying them fair market value the following year. However, that happened under Dave Caldwell's watch and more than five years ago.
Simply, what the past administrations did won't have a bearing on how general manager James Gladston handles negotiations with Travon Walker or any other players. Will it always be pretty? Probably not.
Heck, Gladstone could turn out to be a tough negotiation and even drive a hard bargain, but rest assured that he won't turn contract talks into a car wreck.