Either Jerry Jones is such an advanced negotiator that he can make deals telepathically... or he has no idea what he's doing in the entire Micah Parsons debacle. I don't want to doubt the man who's led the Cowboys to zero NFC Championship games in the past 28 years, but I might be forced to here, because after Micah Parsons requested a trade from the Cowboys, Jones told ESPN that, "I think the world of Micah. And that is just a part of negotiation."
Except there doesn't seem to be any negotiation. Today, Adam Schefter reported that Jones and Parsons haven't spoken since the trade request. Is that also part of the negotiation? Is Jerry Jones practicing witchcraft in his home, trying to subconsciously enter Parsons' brain and convince him that he wants to sign a contract for less than what he's earned? Because if he's not, it's hard to see just where this "negotiation" is that Jones talked about.
Jerry Jones is digging himself into an even deeper hole
The most irritating part of all this for Cowboys fans is that it feels completely unnecessary. If Jones was being honest about anything he's said throughout the ordeal — how much he respects Parsons, how much urgency he has to sign him, etc. — then the deal would be done! We wouldn't be talking about it anymore!
Parsons isn't just a nice piece to have on the Cowboys defense. He's the star, and would be the star on about 27 other teams. It will forever be baffling why owners insist on turning their star players against them. Like, isn't this what they envisioned when they drafted these players? That the players become good enough to demand lucrative contracts? That's a success, not a burden. Pay the man his money.
What's the alternative? You trade him for picks and hope to draft someone as good as him and then refuse to pay that guy, too? Sounds exhausting to me. But again, I'm only 27 years old and in my lifetime I've never been to an NFC Championship, while Jones has been to... wait, never mind.
Jones also admitted he has no idea if Parsons will play in Week 1, but essentially placed all the blame for that on Parsons.