First Things First - HIGHLIGHT: What team should trade for Micah Parsons?

Episode Date: August 5, 2025

Watch clips on YouTube! Subscribe to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FIRST THINGS FIRST YOUTUBE CHANNEL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Micah Parsons has asked the Jones family to trade him away. What team does the Cowboys star make the most sense on? Listen and find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wants out. Gave his trade demand to Stephen Jones personally last week, but Jerry Jones not worried said, don't lose any sleep over it. The sports media world, however, is losing sleep. Coming up with potential trades late into the night. Steve Ruiz and Deonté Lee writing in the ringer, Baltimore.

Defense hasn't forced more than one turnover in any playoff run during the Lamar Jackson era. Could clearly use a game changing pass, Russia, Brew. Parsons could be the final piece. Take down Josh Patrick. Joe Burrow, get over the top. Here's the proposed trade.

26th first round pick, 26 third round pick. O-A and T.J. Tampa to the Cowboys. Ravens get Micah and a 27th, 20-27-6 round pick to the Ravens try to make this work. Sign me up. I mean, if I'm the Raven, absolutely. And look, O-Way is pretty good. So the Cowboys are getting something.

Ten sacks last year. So they're getting something. if I'm Dallas though I would not do this I would not do it I think you can get more for Micah because those look their first round it's a first round pick but it's going to be late

it's going to be late 20s 30s but if I'm Baltimore and I could get this absolutely yeah look Michael Parsons to the Baltimore Ravens it just makes sense it fits past rush or like that

the issue that I have with this is this is not how Baltimore likes to do their business. They are one of those organizations where they draft their guys, they develop their guys, they want to breed their own guys. They will and have every so often pulled

guys in free agency, but you say they wouldn't do that? No, I didn't say they wouldn't. It's not their thing. It's just not their thing. Derek Henry wasn't their thing. Yeah, but he also was not. Counterpoint. No, that is true, but that's why it was rare because Greg's right. They are a draft. I think Greg's right. I think

Greg is right, but I, this is Michael Carson. I started off by saying, of course you got. If I were Baltimore, I would not do that. What? That is, guys, there is when you draft well and when you have a quarterback who next year's cap hit right now is $74 million. Now they're probably going to give them an extension, whatever it is, you can't be in the business of having highest paid all over the team.

You just can't be. And so the team, that's what we want Dallas to do. But no, and I think Dallas has made a grievous mistakes in building that team. That's why I said last year I would have made it approve a year with that. I, here's why I'm saying I wouldn't want, I don't think the Ravens should do it. I wouldn't want the chiefs to do this. The Chiefs have the hardware. Right.

The Ravens are stuck. I understand that. I understand that. I do not, and I'm not trying to pivot the conversation, so I won't. Okay. I don't think the Ravens. I understand the point. And listen, I love Stephen Ruiz and Deonté Lee's podcast.

I think they're sharp guys. I also think they are part of a huge section of the football media that gets different Ravens playoff games than I do. Because one of the things they wrote is they talked about how these playoff failures, a lot of the times the defense hasn't come through. I watched them lose a playoff game to Josh Allen when they allowed 17. To the defense allowed 10 points and Lamar had a pick six. They lost 17 to 3. Watch them lose an AFC championship game to the Chiefs, 17 to 10. It has not been the bill's story of defensive collapses in the playoffs.

The offense hasn't shown up. So I would not further, you need, when you draft, well, cheap, young, good surplus players, not a $44 million year pass rusher. You know what that is. It's scared. No. That's the Chiefs fan. No, that's right.

He's disguising it as analysis. Please. It's your worst nightmare to bring Micah to the AFC. With Lamar? This needs to have. Look, again, if I was Dallas, I wouldn't do it. Can you imagine that? They would be like, it would be like a super team.

You know what it would be like? You know what it would be like? Imagine if the, like, somehow the Buffalo Bills added prime von Miller. But they would have a nightmare for the chief. Prime Von Miller that they got. They got, they signed. They gave him six years. $120 million.

But he got hurt, he got hurt. But they gave him $6,000, $120 million. And it was a grievous mistake they made. And so I just, now this, I don't think Mike would be a, I don't think it could be a grievous mistake to get Micah. I don't think it'd be smart. Go ahead. Next up.

These are all just ideas because we don't necessarily know if Mike is being traded. Probably not. An idea from the athletic. The Bears struggling on offense in the scrimages. And the Khalil Mack trade that they made is the historical precedent for a trade like this. The athletic noting, Cowboys would get a 26 first, a 27th first, a 27th third, and the 276. And the Bears would get Micah Parsons, a fourth, and a seventh. Nick, do you like this trade for the Chicago Bears?

This one's closer because you're not paying your quarterback a lot. And because you are going, you've already spent so much investment onto the offensive side of the ball. However, if I'm Chicago, I don't want to give up my next two drafts. You know what I mean? Even though, because I do think Chicago can be a playoff team this year, but I think it is, you know, I have to reevaluate how close I thought they were from last year, which I was obviously wrong about. I don't look at them as being one player away from winning the Super Bowl.

And so if I were Chicago, that's one I probably wouldn't do. If I were Dallas, I think I would take that trade. Two first. I would two first went from a team that it's in play. Two first and a third. And it's in play that the Bears aren't great next year. It's not possible that the Ravens pick is not going to be the eighth pick of the draft. I think the Bears will be good.

These picks could be in the top. That's what I'm saying. It could be the eighth pick of the draft. Yeah, I'm with you. I wouldn't do it if I'm the Bears. Because I don't think they're close enough where if they get Micah, all of a sudden they can win the NFC. So I would not do that. I don't know if I do it if I'm Dallas because you got a $60 million quarterback.

You got a $34 million receiver. You might end up paying pickings. Like this trade means we're rebuilding. But you're paying all that money to your quarterback and receiver. So I wouldn't do it if I'm Chicago, though. Yep. Nope. I'm not doing it if I'm Chicago.

it's giving up too much. To your point, when you think about what they are hoping Caleb Williams is going to become, you want those future picks to continue to add some younger pieces. I know you're not paying him, but if you're not going to win it this year

because of that one player, like you mentioned, no, I'm not doing this in Chicago. Head to Buffalo, where we're looking at another team that needs to do something to get over on Kansas City. It's tough with their cap space.

But we've got an idea from you. Yeah. So the, oh, go ahead. I put the trade together because NFL.com suggested them but didn't have the trade. And so it's Ed Oliver, who I think is the value of a first round pick, plus a first and a second. So that's a lot. And what you get is Micah Parsons. Now, again, if you trade at Oliver, you open up $2 million in cap space, you would have to do some major reworking of deals to make this work.

Unlike Baltimore, I think Buffalo has two things happening. One is their offense does work, like, achieve in the postseason consistently. Their defense falls apart. And the other one is, I think the head coach there is on a, has a hotter seat than Baltimore's head coach. Because I think that Harbaugh has won a Super Bowl, but also people, even though, you know, very unpopular to say, everybody kind of knows what's been Baltimore's issue in the postseason. And in Buffalo, I think people think, I think the issue in the postseason has got a lot to do with our coach. So if I'm Sean McDermott, I might say, we tried it once with Von Miller

didn't work. We'll try it again and try to get an impact defensive player. Capwise, very, very difficult. But I wouldn't hate if you're Buffalo and it's like, you know what, we got to take a huge swing to shake the snow globe for the inevitable. match up in Kansas City. I do agree with you on the Baltimore point. Like, obviously, I'd still get Mike if I could. But even if they got Mike. You'd still be worried.

Yeah, they still have the question of, are they going to play their best football in the biggest games in the postseason? Buffalo, I like it. I think this is pretty good for both teams. I think they're defensive, you know, Oliver is tough. You get these two picks. I love it for Buffalo. And the Cowboys need a detackle.

You know, they gave up 32 to the Chiefs last year. That was the only time the Chief scored over 30 in the whole season. And so their defense has been the problem in the playoffs. And Michael obviously solves that. So, yeah, that's a good one. Yeah, for Buffalo, Ed Oliver will be a huge hole in the middle of your defense. Obviously, Michael Parsons is going to pressure the quarterback, and that's what you want. And so I like this one.

This is, I want to say one of the ones that I did. I like this one because for both. I like this one because when you get to the postseason, you got to get somebody, you got to have somebody that can get pressure on these quarterbacks. If you don't have that, you're going to give Patrick Mahomes or potential Joe Burrow or Lamar Jackson all these great quarterbacks in the AFC. Bow Knicks, according to Sean Payton, all this time to make plays with their guys around them. And you don't want to have that if you're Buffalo to your other point. Sean McDermott, man, your defense got to step up in the, in the park. whole season.

Yeah. I wonder how desperate the bills are. If they watch the Super Bowl, jokes aside, and they're like, oh, they sack Mahomes six times. And the other Super Bowl, I watched Patrick Mahomes, like, Tampa Bay was all over him. I'm not going to know it was a banged up line. But, like, we're not just going to be able to go toe-to-to-moe mono and beat this team. We can't do it.

We have to sort of. You mean toe-to-to-to offensively. Yeah. Like, you guys score, we'll score. You got to do something. You got to have. You got to have. Right.

I mean, that's the thing. Mahomes needs to have a bad game. Right. I don't think a medium game. He doesn't have medium games. Either is excellent or bad. And against the bills in the playoffs, I think it's 12 touchdowns, one turnover,

like a 112 passer rating, and they score 30 points every game. You know what I mean? They've never once made him uncomfortable. Exactly. You get that player that can be the swing player that now with Patrick Mahomes on the field, you got a player that you feel like,

like, okay, he can get, he can, we need a play. Yeah. Late Kevin Green. That's why I say defense wins championships. Yeah. Everyone listens to me, except the Eagles and good defensive teams. Head to Jacksonville. This is interesting.

That Travis on defense already. Could they add Micah, the ringer, writing the Jags desperately need true blue chip player to anchor their pass rush. They're finishing in the bottom five total QB hits and quick pressures. Do you like this move for the Cowboys? They get a, 27 first, 27. 26 second, Walker Etienne Hamilton. The Jags get Parsons in a 27 third.

If I'm Dallas, send it in. Yeah. I think Travis Etienne has been, not I think, I know, he has been disappointing compared to what he was thought of coming out of Clemson. But I still believe in the talent. It just hasn't, but he seems to have been kind of usurped by Biggsby there anyway. Trayvon Walker has been disappointed. in that he was the number one pick of a draft when everyone's like,

why don't you just take Aiden Hutchinson? And the Trent Balky's like, I'll tell you why, because I know I know better. And it's like, no, you don't. But he's still a 10 sacks each, you know, he's a good player. And those are good picks. Like I, if I were the Cowboys, I would do that. If I'm the Jags and I have the Prince and Travis and Micah,

so become the best big three in football, some would say so. I think that would work for both teams. You were good until you went to the Prince stuff. But look, I think this is the best. the best offer for the Cowboys. Because you look at the picks. Those, I mean, that next pick, next, or in 27, it could be great. Probably pick 30.

Trayvon Walker, like you said, it's 20 sacks in the last two years. So he's a good player. I think Etienne is better than, you know, what the Cowboys have now at running back. And I do, I agree. I think he's pretty talented. So, yes, I would do this if I'm the Cowboys. It'd be fun if it was the Jackson. I don't necessarily want to see Micah there.

Thank you. Yeah. I don't want to see around the bush. What? But they do have. It's just kind of. I'm not really doing it either if I'm the Jags either, to be honest. Like, it's not just about Micah not being there, but you already get you tied up.

You talk about having a quarterback under a big contract. You got to, he's not going to be, they're not a player away. No, because they're probably already there. I mean, they won a playoff game. Recently. When? Moderately. Not recently.

Doesn't feel. Two years ago. You remember when this was? It was two years ago. It was so long ago. It was January of 2023. Who would they win against? Justin Herbert and the Chargers.

A bad Chargers. Great team. Micah and Jacksonville, though. See, I knew you're going to say that. You're like, oh, Jacksonville's not a big enough market for Micah. You know what is? London, Jags' second home. You have Travis Hunter, Micah Parsons, America's British team.

Come on. You're coming around a little bit. It's not a bad. Coming around a little bit.