The Green Bay Packers shocked the NFL a week before the season opener, trading for Dallas Cowboys franchise star Micah Parsons. While there are concerns about how much Parsons can help at the end of the year, there is no denying the drastic improvement this has made for the Green Bay pass rush.
Add in the jersey sales and media coverage from adding one of the league's household names, and it is simply too exciting an opportunity for the Packers not to make.
Parsons not only brings his own production but is going to be a talent elevator early in the season. It is a chance for one struggling Green Bay defender in particular to make a leap in production.
Packers EDGE Rashan Gary Obvious Winner After Micah Parsons Trade
The Packers drafted Rashan Gary 12th overall in the 2019 offseason, believing they had found a franchise pass-rushing option. Through the veteran's first handful of seasons with the franchise, this has been the case, totaling 39 sacks in 90 games (59 starts).
Adding Parsons has a chance to bring the career of Gary even further into the spotlight despite the obvious demotion. Not only do the Packers get the advantage of learning from Parsons and having the star soften up the offensive line, but they're also going to be playing in a role where they're not being given close to the same attention. Gary is no longer Green Bay's biggest threat.
Gary is now able to take a step back and take a breath, and no longer deal with fan pressure and expectations. Now, all of this shifts onto Parsons, and whatever the defender can add in from a secondary role is considered a win. It is an ideal situation for a player who has lived up to expectations, but doesn't have the potential ceiling of the new Green Bay star.
For Parsons, this is a far better situation than Dallas as well, allowing the veteran to step into more of a leadership role on a younger team. Add in the superior roster talent, and if the $188 million superstar can find a way to prevent an end-of-season collapse, it is a better situation all the way around. It benefits not only Parsons and Van Ness but the rest of Green Bay's young defense.
The question remains whether or not this moves the needle enough to compete with the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions, who are considered the class of the conference. No matter the answer, there is no denying that adding Parsons has the franchise a step closer in this direction.