The NFL draft will be here soon, and while mock drafts are at their fever pitch, the players currently on the roster are busy at work. Flying under the radar is the offseason workouts for veterans. The first day of voluntary workouts for the Dallas Cowboys has already arrived. Although the workouts are voluntary, they still have a meaningful purpose. With the Cowboys welcoming a new coach, changes will undoubtedly take time to implement; therefore, taking advantage of the voluntary workouts is beneficial. For the new coaches, it allows them to better understand their roster.

A notable name at voluntary workouts was Micah Parsons. Over the past few seasons, Parsons has opted to not attend the voluntary workouts and stay away from the team until OTAs and minicamp. In December, Parsons spoke about his presence around the team in the offseason, and so far, he’s backed his words.

“I’ve got to be around the guys,” he said. “There’s going to be rookies, there’s going to be free agents — guys that come here — you don’t know who’s going to be there, so there’s a chemistry part and people know what you can do, but people also got to see it from a leader aspect. So I still gotta be there for that part.”

Taking it a step further regarding the mandatory portion of the offseason, Parsons also added this:

“I definitely think I need to be here in camp because, honestly, when so much of the defense is surrounded by your play and your presence, and others are getting lined up based off of you, I need to be here so that way I can get these guys accordingly,” said Parsons. “We can rush together, build that chemistry.

Parsons wanting to assume more of a leadership role couldn’t come at a better time. Brian Schottenheimer steps in as a first-time head coach, and having strong leaders on his roster enables Schottenheimer to establish culture more expediently and fortify the bottom of the roster. Plus, with the Cowboys having their third defensive coordinator in as many years, it’s a benefit that the defense has Parsons to bridge the gap between Matt Eberflus and the other returning players on that side of the ball. This offseason, the Cowboys said goodbye to longtime defensive end Demarcus Lawrence, who was viewed by many as the team’s vocal leader. Upon leaving for the Seattle Seahawks, Lawrence and Parsons exchanged some posts on X that were critical of Parsons off the field. The exchange is likely the inciting incident that will see Parsons naturally step into that role as a leader and work to force the loquacious Lawrence to eat his words.

Parsons is playing in the final year of his contract under the fifth-year option. Though there has been talk of what figures Parsons can expect to command, nothing appears imminent regarding a contract. In sports, the burden of winning usually falls on the highest-paid players, who are naturally considered leaders. It’s only fitting that Parsons should assume that responsibility that should coincide with a substantial payday. Parsons’ attendance at voluntary workouts was a positive step, and should conclude with results at the negotiating table, and hopefully results on the field.