FRISCO – Before we play “fantasy trade,” let’s put down some real groundwork in the Dallas Cowboys’ set-up with Micah Parsons.

CowboysCountry.com was first to report (almost three weeks ago) that the two sides have “exchanged contract proposal numbers.” … and that Micah likes the idea of signing for five years, with $40 million APY a centerpiece …

Maybe adding up to a monster $200 million deal.

Oh, and team owner Jerry Jones has confirmed our reports by saying he and Micah (but not yet the agent) are “in agreement” on some key aspects of a deal.

Amid an assortment of unfounded rumors, both sides, we’re told, are extremely confident that they eventually forge a long-term deal.

But what if …?

One outlet has created a trade package for Dallas in a scenario where the Cowboys say goodbye to Parsons and ship him to the New England Patriots.

In this proposal, the Cowboys move Parsons for first-, second- and fifth-round picks in this year’s draft along with a 2026 first and a 2027 third.

The hub of this wheel? Two first-round picks, which sounds about right.

Oh, and Dallas of course keeps pick No. 12.

And then? In this stated scenario, Dallas gets the fourth pick and selects Parsons’ replacement in fellow Penn State guy Abdul Carter.

So the Cowboys pick at No. 4 and they pick at No. 12 and they rebuild the roster on the cheap (with rookie contracts) and avoid paying Micah that $40 million.

For something like this to work? The right player needs to be available. What if Carter goes to the Giants at No. 3?

Settle on Colorado’s Travis Hunter? What if he goes to the Browns at No. 2?

Additionally, that guy taken at No. 4 had better be a game-changing superstar … because you’re losing that in Micah. … and no rookie will be guaranteed to step in and replace those contributions.

Parsons is a franchise foundational piece. While the wait for the deal may be a painstakingly long process, we know the Cowboys have decided they are better suited holding onto their star. …

But the “fantasy trade” game remains a fun one for fans and media. Because there is no doubt the actual teams play the same games.