The Dallas Cowboys find themselves in a conundrum following their Week 4 win over the New York Giants last Thursday night, in which both Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence sustained injuries that might force them to miss playing time .
Lawrence is reportedly a likely Injured Reserve candidate (foot) and could miss four to eight weeks, while Parsons hasn't even been ruled out for Week 5 with a high-ankle sprain. Even still, that kind of injury can linger throughout an entire season if not treated with patience. There's a very real scenario where Parsons doesn't play until after the bye week.
That means the Cowboys could be down their top defensive ends, and arguably their top defensive players overall, for multiple games. As for the conundrum itself: It's too late to sign someone off of free agency and expect him to be a legit solution, while it's way too early to shop around the league for potential trades.
Think about it, teams that might wind up as sellers later in the year are still trying to figure out if they have a shot at the playoffs in 2024. No front office wants to turn off fans' interest this early by dealing away a quality player, much less so at a premium position like edge rusher.
This is made even worse by the recent NFL rule change that indicates the trade deadline is to be set on the Tuesday after Week 9, as opposed to Week 8 in previous years.
"When the league moved to a 17-game schedule for the 2021 season, the trade deadline wasn't adjusted to accommodate the elongated season. The 2024 rule, which was submitted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, restores the deadline to its more centralized timetable," wrote Kevin Patra from NFL.com back when the announcement was made.
In this particular instance, the rule plays against the Cowboys more than it benefits them, as teams have even less reasons to deal a top player at a premium position this early in the year.
All of this leaves the Cowboys on an uncomfortable spot: To replace Lawrence and (potentially) Parsons, they'll need to bet on those already on the team. That includes second-round rookie Marshawn Kneeland and veteran Carl Lawson, as well as the versatile Chauncey Golston and maybe second-year player Tyrus Wheat. Sam Williams' season-ending injury from August feels like an even tougher blow now.
It's a dangerous position to be in and one the Cowboys might not be able to change much even if they do pull off a move to get someone else to join their defensive line. For now, we wait. Head coach Mike McCarthy suggested on Friday there'd be updates on both defensive stars on Monday.
Related: NFL spoils two Cowboys players' mini bye week with some news they didn't want to hear
Local News
Comments / 0