How Mike Zimmer is creating a stealthier Micah Parsons and what it means for the Cowboys defense
How Mike Zimmer is creating a stealthier Micah Parsons and what it means for the Cowboys defense
Micah Parsons was chosen by the Dallas
Cowboys with the 12th overall choice in the 2021
NFL Draft. This occurred when they missed out
on one of the best cornerbacks in the draft and
traded back two positions with the Philadelphia
Eagles. Since then, Parsons has emerged as the
draft’s finest player thus far, making him the
consolation prize that surpasses all other
awards. Compared to other players in his draft
class, his Pro Football Reference Approximate
Value is significantly greater.
This pick was initially criticized as many thought
it was a misuse of resources to take an off-ball
linebacker so high. While Parsons was primarily
an off-ball linebacker at Penn State, he did have
some untapped potential as a pass rusher and
the Cowboys found this out in a hurry. Due to
injuries (DeMarcus Lawrence missed nine games
and Randy Gregory missed four), Parsons saw a
lot of action on the edge, and as it turned out, he
was pretty darn good. Right out of the gate,
Parsons led the Cowboys in sacks, more than the
next two highest Cowboys defenders combined.
Whether this was the result of excellent scouting
or just pure luck, the Cowboys had landed a
superstar at one of the most sought-after
positions in football. Throughout his three
seasons in the league, Parsons’ number of tackles
has increased annually, and he has consistently
been among the top three players in the
Defensive Player of the Year vote. Given his skill
set, it would appear that you should want him to
be on the edge, and every picture he takes
elsewhere feels wrong. After all, in terms of
quarterback pressures last year, he led the
league. He’s not too bad at it. Parsons is a
dynamic player, though. He is far more capable
than that. Even if it’s early, Mike Zimmer, the
new defensive coordinator, seems determined to
realise that promise. Zimmer claimed that the
offence always knew where he was and had a
solid plan against him after observing how he
was deployed the previous season. He wants to
take him on more adventures and move him
around more this year. And he is getting more
reps at training camp as off-ball linebacker,
which is one of those ways.
Parsons is down in weight, back to 240 pounds,
his playing weight in college. That’s 15 pounds
lighter than his 255 bulk-up from a year ago.
Gone are the muscle-up body transitions meant
to handle every snap battle against bigger
defensive linemen. Sleek is the goal now as
Parsons himself describes…
The goal of this updated Parsons is to increase
the defense’s stealth. Although his physical
prowess will enable him to handle a larger role,
mental toughness will also be crucial. Zimmer is
going to test Parsons’ capacity for thought and
see what novelties he can pull off. It is hoped that
a faster, more covert Parsons will keep the
offence always guessing and the defence less
predictable. It is a cornerstone of the Zimmer
defence. Parsons will experience this as a shift,
but it also has a knock-on impact. Who’s taking
those reps if he’s spending less time on the edge?
Recall that the Cowboys lost Dante Fowler and
Dorance Armstrong to free agency. For the
Cowboys a year ago, they were ranked third and
fifth in edge rushing snaps. Furthermore, Sam
Williams is out for the season after suffering an
injury during practice on Sunday. As a result, the
group will depend on youngster Marshawn
Kneeland and seasoned DeMarcus Lawrence.
Tank is a well-known force, so things will
continue as usual for him, but it might be
unrealistic to expect someone who hasn’t played
a down in the NFL to have a significant part.
Next, the group would focus on down-the-roster
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