Cam Newton claims Micah Parsons trade, CeeDee Lamb injury are 'the best thing' for Dak Prescott's career

Cam Newton has been so impressed by Dak Prescott this season, the former NFL MVP has awarded the 32-year-old Dallas Cowboys quarterback a new “swag” nickname — “Dakquavious.” Prescott is the midst of a career renaissance in his 10th NFL season, currently ranking second in the league with 1,356 passing yards and 10 passing scores through five games.

Of course, this season hasn’t been without its fair share of Cowboys drama, which started before the regular season began with the now-infamous trade of superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers the week before Dallas’ season-opener vs. the Philadelphia Eagles. And in Week 3, the Cowboys lost superstar No. 1 receiver CeeDee Lamb to an ankle injury against the Chicago Bears.

But to hear Newton tell it, both of those occurrences — the Parsons trade and subsequent Lamb injury — all worked in Prescott’s favor. He thinks that it cleared the Cowboys locker room of potentially conflicting voices, allowing Prescott to be the team’s unquestioned “alpha” leader.

“I like Dak-quavious (Prescott). Dak-quavious has been playing very clean football. Clean football, might I add, looks like protecting the football at all cost. And I’ll say it publicly, if somebody is going to utter it privately, and I know Dak would never admit to this: the Dallas Cowboys moving on from Micah Parsons is the best thing for (Prescott’s) career. CeeDee Lamb being removed from the team for obvious injury purposes was the best thing for (Prescott’s) career,” Newton said during Friday’s First Take on ESPN. “Why? Because they have eliminated the alpha distractions and given Dak the whole team, nothing but the team, so help you lead. And what has he been doing the last couple of weeks? Leading the team. With his voice, no other outside voices, and he’s been delivering the goods. I like that.”

Of course, Lamb is reportedly eyeing a Week 7 return, where he would provide Prescott a much-needed second option at receiver alongside George Pickens, who leads the Cowboys with 357 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 23 receptions. Despite missing the past two games, Lamb still ranks third on the team with 222 receiving yards on 16 receptions and four scores through the air.

Rex Ryan: Dak Prescott leading Cowboys offense to ‘Super Bowl caliber’ play

Rex Ryan couldn’t help but be impressed by what he saw from Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5. Inside MetLife Stadium, the Cowboys dismantled the New York Jets with a performance that left Ryan thinking big about the potential of the Dallas offense.

Prescott was sharp and in total control, throwing for 237 yards and four touchdowns — all without his top target in CeeDee Lamb, and while missing several key pieces along the offensive line. For Ryan, that kind of efficiency and command spoke volumes about where this Cowboys offense is right now.

“Dak Prescott, make no mistake, he is on fire, and Brian Schottenheimer is doing an amazing job with that offense,” Ryan said on Get Up on ESPN. “Their defense still stinks, so I think it’s still gonna bite them at the end. But this offense is Super Bowl caliber. That’s without CeeDee Lamb and four starters in the offensive line.”

Ryan’s assessment reflects what has become increasingly clear through five weeks — Prescott and the Dallas offense are operating at an elite level. Even with injuries and inconsistency on defense, the Cowboys have managed to keep themselves in the NFC race thanks to their quarterback’s playmaking and leadership.

— On3’s Steve Samra contributed to this report.