Bills urged to send James Cook to Cowboys in Micah Parsons trade package

The NFL world was shocked on Friday when Dallas Cowboys superstar Micah Parsons requested a trade following stalled contract talks. Immediately after he made his intentions clear, the Buffalo Bills were named as potential suitors.

Of course, such a deal would be difficult to pull off for Buffalo. Parsons not only wants a salary north of $40 million per season, but they're already over the cap for 2025. Of course, some clever accounting can clear up space, as would sending one of their players to Dallas as part of the trade package.

That's the route Jarrett Bailey of The Sporting News takes as he suggested two possible trade packages for Buffalo. The first would involve sending A.J. Epenesa along with a first, third, and fifth-round pick in 2026 and a first and second in 2027 for Parsons and two late-round picks.

The more enticing (at least for Dallas) would be Bailey's second proposal. Here, he has Buffalo sending fewer picks, giving up a first and a fourth this year, a second in 2027. The catch is that they would also send running back James Cook to Dallas.

"Cook didn't receive a contract extension from the Bills this offseason and is set to be a free agent in 2026. The Cowboys have long-needed a game-changing running back , and Buffalo still has Ty Johnson and Ray Davis to rely upon in the backfield." — Bailey, The Sporting News

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook on the field during training camp at St. John Fisher University. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Cook, who is also seeking a new contract, is coming off his second consecutive 1,000-yard season. He also tied for the league lead with 16 touchdowns on the ground.

He would immediately fix the Cowboys' porous rushing attack, but they would still need to find a way to extend his contract to make it work.

While adding Parsons would make Buffalo the favorite to win it all, it would be a tough pill to swallow sending Cook. They would have to truly believe Ray Davis could be their new lead back, because the offense needs someone to help Josh Allen with the heavy-lifting.

Dallas Cowboys EDGE Micah Parsons at training camp at the River Ridge Fields. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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