Terry Bradshaw is digging his heels in: he’s convinced the Dallas Cowboys absolutely nailed the Micah Parsons trade. Even after their big move this week to land cornerback Joey Porter Jr. from the Steelers, Bradshaw doubled down on “FOX NFL Sunday,” saying Dallas has zero regrets about dealing Parsons to the Packers. “I don’t think they do at all,” he declared. “That’s some great talent.” It’s a bold take, especially when you look at the numbers for that Cowboys defense.
The Numbers Don’t Lie (Unless You’re Terry Bradshaw)
The Cowboys shipped off Micah Parsons for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark just one week before the start of the 2025 season. And yeah, their defense took a massive hit immediately. Last season, after the Parsons trade, Dallas ranked 30th in total defense and dead last in scoring defense. YIKES. It hasn’t exactly turned around this year either. Right now, the Cowboys’ defense is still sitting at 30th in total defense, and they’re 25th in scoring defense. You’d think those stats would make anyone regret giving up a player like Parsons, but Bradshaw is unshakeable. He claims the trade is going to pay off big time down the road. “They got two really good kids in the first round on defense,” he said, standing firm that “it was a really good move.”
Major Investments, Major Questions
So, who are these “really good kids” Bradshaw is talking about? Dallas used one of those first-round picks from the Parsons deal to draft UCF defensive end Malachi Lawrence. Then, because their defense was so bad, they were in a position to snag safety Caleb Downs with the 11th overall pick. Downs has been a bright spot, arguably the best defensive rookie this season, already logging three forced fumbles, a sack, and 21 total tackles. But here’s the kicker: the Cowboys have had to dump a ton of draft capital into their defense since shipping Parsons out. On top of those two first-rounders, they traded a 2027 first-round pick last season to bring in defensive tackle Quinnen Williams from the Jets. And then this week, they gave up a second-round pick to get Joey Porter Jr. That’s a lot of resources for a defense that’s still struggling.
Almost everyone else on the “NFL on FOX” set disagreed with Bradshaw’s wild take, and honestly, you can see why. It’s a tough sell when your defense is at the bottom of the league after moving a generational talent. Rob Gronkowski, however, offered a little more nuance. He pointed out, “They miss his production on the field,” subtly implying that maybe they don’t miss Parsons’ off-field persona. Still, the on-field production is what wins games. The Cowboys have thrown everything they’ve got at fixing this defense, but the results just aren’t there yet. Will these new pieces, especially Porter Jr., start to change the narrative, or will Bradshaw’s hot take continue to look colder than a Seattle winter? We’ll be watching to see if all this investment can finally make a difference.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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