What Eliot Wolf, the Patriots' executive vice president of player personnel, said on Monday has opened the door to trade rumors. Wolf mentioned that the team is willing to give up a first-round pick for a player worthy of that price. The first name that comes to most people's minds is Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons.
If there is any doubt whether the Patriots need one of the NFL's best pass rushers, the answer is a resounding yes.
According to CBS Sports' Jared Dubin, the Patriots stand to benefit most if the Cowboys trade their star edge rusher.
The Patriots have the NFL's largest salary cap space, with nearly $60 million available for the 2025 season. This financial flexibility puts them in a prime position to absorb Parsons.
"New England could use Parsons more than perhaps any other team in the NFL," Dubin said.
The Patriots' pass rush ranked 31st in pressure on opposing quarterbacks last season, generating pressure on just 28.1% of opponent dropbacks. They added players like Harold Landry and K'Lavon Chaisson in the offseason, but according to Dubin, none match Parsons' caliber or potential impact.
Dubin said the Patriots could justify trading a first-round pick and offering Parsons a substantial contract extension, particularly with rookie quarterback Drake Maye on a rookie deal, allowing salary cap flexibility over the next several years. However, he noted, "It's for that exact reason that Dallas would be silly to actually trade him."
Parsons is the only player besides Reggie White to record 12-plus sacks in each of his first four NFL seasons.
So, there are enough reasons for the Patriots to trade for Micah Parsons, and if he does join, he could transform the team's potential in an instant. But will the Cowboys make that move? That's something only time will tell.