Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said he's thrilled with how the Micah Parsons trade has worked out for the organization in the long run.
"We feel really good about it," Jones said Tuesday on Mad Dog Sports Radio. "Obviously, much respect for Micah and what he stands for and how he plays and the caliber of player he is, but at the same time, we feel good about what we've added via that trade."
After months of contract negotiations, Dallas dealt Parsons to the Green Bay Packers last August for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. Now, just over eight months later, Jones' team has used all the draft compensation from the deal.
Through subsequent trades involving the first-round picks they acquired from the Parsons move, the Cowboys ultimately ended up with Clark, Quinnen Williams, 2026 No. 23 pick Malachi Lawrence, 114th overall selection Devin Moore, and 137th overall pick LT Overton. Dallas shipped the higher of its 2027 first-rounders to the New York Jets in exchange for Williams at the 2025 trade deadline.
"You look at a guy like Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark, they're alpha players who not only are great players on the field, but they're leaders in the meeting room," Jones added. "How they go about their business in the offseason, (they) just bring great leadership to this team."
Jones added, "I just feel very optimistic that we have the right pieces in place to go out. Ultimately, the decision we made was that one player was not worth four or five good ones. We feel like that's where we're gonna end up here, in a good spot."
Parsons signed a four-year, $188-million contract with the Packers once the trade went through. The 26-year-old suited up in 14 regular-season games before tearing his ACL in mid-December. Despite the injury, Parsons totaled 12.5 sacks and finished seventh in the league with 79 pressures, earning first-team All-Pro honors.
Dallas' defense struggled in 2025 without Parsons, ranking last in points per game. The Cowboys' minus-151.41 total EPA allowed was the second-worst mark among any team since 2020, according to TruMedia. Their defensive woes were too much to overcome, as Dallas missed the playoffs for a second consecutive season.
Along with the acquisitions they received in the Parsons trade, the Cowboys selected safety Caleb Downs 11th overall, who was considered one of the best prospects in the draft. They also landed veteran pass-rusher Rashan Gary in a trade with the Packers for a 2027 fourth-round pick.
