Say what you will about the Micah Parsons trade, but the Dallas Cowboys have done a commendable job rebounding from it.
Yes, it was their mess to clean up, but they've since built arguably the best defensive tackle room in football by trading for Quinnen Williams, and they still hold three first-round picks over the next two years. You don't have to squint to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
Of course, a chunk of momentum would be lost if the Cowboys move on from Kenny Clark, the headliner they got back in the Parsons deal. With a looming $21.5 million cap hit, Clark has been widely circled as a potential cap casualty, whether via trade or release.
ESPN senior writer Bill Barnwell is all aboard the trade Clark train, and he went as far as to pitch a deal involving the Cincinnati Bengals. From a Cowboys perspective, it's an awful idea.
The Dallas Cowboys should only trade Kenny Clark at the right price
Why ... why would the Cowboys ever agree to that?
Barnwell makes a salient point that Clark, Williams, and Osa Odighizuwa will account for three of the team's six-highest cap hits next season. That's hardly ideal, but make no mistake: Jerry Jones can afford to keep all of them.
Williams is under contract through 2027, and it would make sense to get out in front of an extension. Such a move could clear $15.56 million in cap space immediately. If Jones isn't ready to make that move, there are other cap-clearing levers to pull than simply shipping off Clark.
Restructuring Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb would take Dallas $20 million under the cap. That figure would approach $40 million if the Cowboys also restructure Tyler Smith. They could generate another $14 million by releasing Logan Wilson and Malik Hooker.
READ MORE: Wild George Pickens trade pitch is too good for Jerry Jones to pass on
Trading Clark isn’t insane. It’s certainly better than cutting him for nothing, but what’s the point if all you’re getting back is a sixth-round pick?
Defensive tackle is the strength of this defense. Why weaken it? Clark is a good player, and the Cowboys don’t have many of those on that side of the ball. Not to mention, the front office has raved about the leadership role he took on after he was acquired last August.
There is a $21.5 million pot at the end of the rainbow if Clark is cut or traded. That is tempting, and Clark's services aren't needed as much following the Williams trade. But subtracting talent is hard to justify for a defense that just had one of the worst seasons in franchise history.
If Clark's trade market is going to look similar to what Barnwell pitched, the Cowboys should just honor his contract.