Over the last few years in the NFL, there have a shockingly high number of blockbuster trades seeing superstar players be shipped to new teams despite how valuable they had been to their longtime home. That continued last week when the Cowboys unexpectedly traded two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Packers in a move that most believed would never happen.
In the weeks leading up to the move, the Patriots had been considered one of the most realistic teams in the conversation, given their substantial cap space available and the tremendous need for a dominant pass rusher to elevate their defense.
But they were reportedly not among the teams Dallas had extensive conversations with, despite the seemingly doable price of just two future first-round picks and a top player.
The immediate reaction from Patriots fans was mixed, with some feeling it was a missed opportunity to add a Hall of Fame-caliber player to their roster, while others were pleased that Mike Vrabel and Co. didn't forfeit valuable draft capital for Parsons.
Those who didn't want to see the trade happy will likely be happy with the latest reports of how the veteran was viewed by his Cowboys teammates, as that is the last thing the Patriots need in their locker room now or in the future.
Rumors of disdain toward Micah Parsons proves the Patriots dodged a bullet by not trading for him
After months of owner Jerry Jones claiming he had no intention of moving Parsons and wanted him to be a Cowboy for life, his decision to trade him for a much lower price than most analysts believed would need to be the offer was beyond shocking, leading insiders to dive into what might have fueled the move.
That led longtime insider Albert Breer from Sports Illustrated to reveal the inside reception of Parsons among his teammates, which he claims was not good and might have been a big factor in why Jones was willing to get him out of the building.
"That said, there is a difference between this negotiation and the previous three. Martin, Lamb, and Prescott are/were very popular in the locker room. That’s not the case with Parsons, who has rankled teammates in different ways, seen by some as egotistical and self-centered."
If this rumor is even slightly true, it's hard to argue that the Patriots have missed out.
Although Parsons would make their defense immensely better, they have no room for this kind of attitude or mindset to be in their locker room, as it not only goes against what Vrabel is trying to accomplish with the team moving forward, but they need more of a solid brotherhood after the chaos of the last several years in Foxboro.
Parsons is no doubt a superstar and with that often comes an attitude to match, and sometimes it is certainly worth it. There might be a way to suggest his production would make it easier to overlook the attitude, but the Patriots are in the midst of an important rebuild and don't need anything or anyone to deter that.