Cowboys Trade Rumors Wrongly Address Micah and Dak

FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys are in the spotlight, as usual, when it comes to most every issue ... and for the purpose of this discussion, let's go with "roster-building'' ...

And headline-grabbing.

That's really part of the brain exercise here, and it's OK ... as long as those involved have their facts straight.

Unfortunately, as we are about to illustrate - times two - they do not.

First up is Bleacher Report, which has laid out a few scenarios that include a rebuild of the current roster via parting with Micah Parsons and Dak Prescott through a trade.

"There is,'' BR writes, "a chance that players like Prescott and Parsons don't want to be part of whatever comes next for the Cowboys after feeling like they were on the right track with McCarthy.''

That is, respectfully, moronic, and demonstrates an ignorance about everything here inside The Star from the relationships to the cap. (As we've written often, a move of Dak would "cost'' Dallas $103.2 million in cap space - a non-starter concept.).

And now along comes something called "TWSN,'' which predicts that Parsons will want the Cowboys to trade him.

"With the talent Parsons is, he will want results and with Dallas the results have not been there," TWSN writes. "Parsons’ frustrations will grow as time goes on, and if he can’t get the right contract amount in addition to results on the field, he will want out and demand a trade to a winning franchise."

And voila, TWSN has a bogus (but eyebrow-raising) headline: "Micah Parsons to Request a Trade from the Dallas Cowboys?''

The Cowboys have been very open about their plan to enter long-term contract negotiations with their superstar defender this offseason, and Parsons has been open about a willingness to possible accept less than what many see as his coming market value of $40 million per year - which would make him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history.

Critics of that concept continue to push the numbers that state the Cowboys are also already paying receiver CeeDee Lamb $34 million per season and quarterback Prescott $60 million per season.

As one site writes, "That's a lot of money spent on just two players, and including Parsons, it would mean the Cowboys are paying over $120 million per season to three players on the roster. That leaves just over $130 million to spend on the other 50 players on the Cowboys' roster.''

And again, respectfully, that is moronic. Those numbers in no way reflect anything about the way the salary cap works. (Want accuracy, including a possible $100 million in coming cap room? See below.)

Prescott attended the Monday press conference announcing new coach Brian Schottenheimer, a show of support for Dallas' future.

Parsons has frequently expressed his feelings about the franchise, as much as any player in recent Cowboys' history having expressed his passion for representing the team - and his willingness to recruit in free agency to add to the roster.

There is simply no indication that players like Prescott and Parsons are interested in asking for trades, or that the Cowboys are interested, either.