It sadly isn't hard to believe that the Dallas Cowboys pushed Micah Parsons to request a trade. Whether this is just a leverage ploy by Parsons remains to be seen, but it is a completely unforced error.
It was only a matter of time until this strategy pissed someone off, and it became clear early on in negotiations that Parsons wasn't going to allow the Joneses to control the narrative.
No trade package the Cowboys could get would make them a better team compared to having Parsons under contract for the next handful of seasons. If they were able to get three or four first-round picks, they would have to hope and pray one of them turned out to be half as good as Parsons.
It would not be worth it regardless of the haul. Rather than trade Parsons, Dallas actually has a sneakily strong trade chip on their roster that might be worth pursuing: wide receiver Jalen Tolbert.
The Cowboys should trade Jalen Tolbert instead of Micah Parsons
According to Bryan Broaduss of 105.3 The Fan, Tolbert has had a quiet camp so far. While it's admittedly hard to stand out in a WR room that has CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, Broaddus has noticed that Tolbert and Dak Prescott haven't boasted a strong connection in training camp.
The one thing holding Tolbert back from being a reliable WR3 is his ability to separate. It's no secret that Mingo struggles to create separation as well, but he is the much more physical receiver. Mingo is an inch taller and has some 20 pounds on the former third-round pick.
Read more: Micah Parsons' top trade destination is painfully clear (and it's a nightmare)
While George Pickens gives Dallas much-needed size at the position, they are obviously keeping Lamb, who can be moved all over the field but isn't a prototypical X receiver. They are also keeping KaVontae Turpin, who figures to operate almost exclusively in the slot.
It should also be noted that undrafted free agent Traeshon Holden is making waves at camp. He'll need to carry that into the preseason, but he is quickly becoming this year's camp darling.
That isn't to say the Cowboys should definitively trade Tolbert. The WR room hasn't been this deep in years. It would be awesome if it was five or six deep this season.
However, there are plenty of teams in the league who could use a WR3/4. If the Cowboys want to shop Tolbert and take advantage of another team's desperation, the emergence of Mingo and Holden would make that move much easier to stomach.