29 July 2023 , 22:00
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Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons claimed his team is the best in the NFC this year while comparing the defence to some of the best in recent NFL history.
"I think we are the top in the NFC," Parsons told 105.3 the FAN. "No one can beat you except yourself."
Parsons has been the heart of the Dallas defence since the organisation selected him at No. 12 in the 2021 NFL Draft. He recorded 13 sacks and three forced fumbles as a rookie, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year, before racking up 13.5 sacks in his second NFL campaign.
The Cowboys ranked 13th in total yards allowed, seventh in yards per play allowed and first in turnovers forced last year. They posted a 12-5 record but wilted in the divisional round of the playoffs, losing 19-12 to the San Francisco 49ers.
"What do I think this defense can be? I think we can be up there with the 49ers' great defense," said Parsons at training camp this past week. "I think we can be up there with Ray Lewis' defense. I think we can be up there with the Legion of Boom."
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"[That's] the talent we have, the vet guys and the young guys, the experience we all have. Since my rookie year, we got thrown into the fire. And we've gotten experience from tough games, playoff-level games, and I don't think there's a guy on our team that doesn't have postseason experience outside of the guys that just came in."
Owner Jerry Jones views Parsons as the cornerstone of the Cowboys' future, so much so that he used the linebacker's value to make the case that he can't afford to offer contract holdout candidate Zack Martin the deal he wants. Parsons' rookie contract runs through 2024.
Micah Parsons claimed the Dallas Cowboys were the best team in the NFC. (Getty Images)"It's not about precedent, it's about facts," Jones said on Saturday of the Martin stalemate. "We need the money to pay Parsons. We need the money to pay the players that we got to pay in the future. That's a fact."
The Cowboys recently handed cornerback Trevon Diggs a five-year, $97 million extension after he intercepted 17 passes over the past three seasons. Elsewhere on the defence, lineman Dorance Armstrong Jr. recorded 8.5 sacks, enjoying single-team pass protection with opponents needing to focus on Parsons' threat.
Even with those talented players, Dallas is not a sure bet to win their division. They must contend with an NFC East that is much better than it was just a couple of years ago; in 2020, the Washington Commanders won the division with a losing record. The Philadelphia Eagles reached the Super Bowl last campaign, the New York Giants unexpectedly reached the playoffs, and the Commanders are buoyed by a long-awaited ownership change. Still, with a swarming defence and a Dak Prescott-led passing game tipped to return to form, Parsons views the Cowboys as title contenders.
"We've got some elite guys with elite talent, and some have been to the [Super] Bowl and that have just been on playoff runs," Parsons said. "I think we've got a great chance."