There has been a lot of drama around the NFL this offseason regarding players looking for new contracts and their teams being reluctant to give them. That is continuing for a few players as the preseason nears, with the most notable of which being receiver Terry McLaurin and defensive end Micah Parsons.
Both requested trades from their teams last week, which immediately put them on the Patriots' radar as they currently have the most cap space to utilize in the league. There's a chance they could target one of them before the season begins. Mike Vrabel didn't shut down the possibility earlier this season, prompting many to propose trades they could potentially pull off to get a superstar in the building.
Considering their likely draft positioning next year, it wouldn't be outlandish to consider the Patriots could throw in a high draft pick or two, and maybe even a player. That's what most of the proposals have included, but the latest one from Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report is far too costly for Vrabel and Co. to consider and could probably get them fired.
If the Patriots want to trade for Micah Parsons, this cannot be the deal they offer
Based on the incredible talent that Parsons possesses and the value he would be for any team in the league, it's expected that the Cowboys would want quite a haul in return if they choose to trade him.
That would explain why Knox has the Patriots shipping off some of their most coveted future draft picks, which might be required to get a deal done with Dallas. But it would create a massive hole in the Patriots' future plans of building a young team through the rookie classes.
This is the kind of haul it would likely take for Jerry Jones to even consider moving Parsons, even if the pass rusher has already demanded a trade, and it might be best to move on from him now rather than later. However, the Patriots are still projected to have a possible top-10 first-round pick next year, so giving that up is already questionable.
It's even more questionable to throw in a second-rounder, too, and 2027's first-round pick. That completely defeats the purpose of what Vrabel has emphasized he wants to do with the roster moving forward and would surely put the Patriots in the hole for years to come.
The addition of Parsons would certainly be great and make their defense an unstoppable force, but they need to consider the impacts of losing those draft picks.
We've seen the adverse effect it has had on other teams that lived by the "f those picks" mantra, and the Patriots do not need to join that pattern any time soon, not even for a player of Parsons' caliber.