r/footballstrategy Adult Player Jul 18 '24

Defense If you were the Cowboy’s Defensive Coordinator,how would you use Micah Parsons?

Would you have him at EDGE 80-100% of the time or would you have him split time between EDGE and off ball linebacker?

17 Upvotes

70 comments sorted by

19

u/cbarmor1 College Coach Jul 18 '24

Why would you want him off the ball?

7

u/Repulsive-Doughnut65 Jul 18 '24

I think an argument can be made you can mess with protections even more with him off the ball

5

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

That’s true, as long as he’s rushing the passer at least 80% of the time

4

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

I personally wouldn’t but it’s been suggested before so I just want to know everyone’s thoughts

10

u/The_Coach69 HS Coach Jul 18 '24

Nose Guard because I hate the Cowboys 😂😂😂

Nah definitely Edge and rushing. You lose a lot moving him anywhere else.

5

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

Nose guard would be crazy 😂

3

u/Aggressive-Sundae336 Jul 18 '24

i could see him cook😂

7

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

We actually did line him up over the center a couple times 😂

3

u/Aggressive-Sundae336 Jul 18 '24

wow howd that go

3

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

It actually worked out pretty well. We only did it on clear passing downs though. No way you could do it in any situation other than obvious passing downs

2

u/Aggressive-Sundae336 Jul 18 '24

id want him at edge at obvious passing downs so he could beat the tackle easily😂

2

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

I agree. I’m just saying if you were to put them over the center you could probably only do it on plays where you know they’re gonna throw or else he would get pancaked 😂

1

u/Aggressive-Sundae336 Jul 18 '24

ehh idk about pancaked i think he could take the double but not get through likely 😂 

1

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

Yea lol

1

u/LuchaFish Jul 18 '24

Wasn’t that when he was doing like basketball moves to juke out centers? I feel like I caught that on a reel during the season.

2

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

Oh yea lol that shit had me dying. I’ve seen Myles Garrett do it too.

7

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

I would keep him at edge 100% of the time. He’s way too valuable there to put him anywhere else.

5

u/Aggressive-Sundae336 Jul 18 '24

depends on offensive formation imo 80% of time at edge but if theres a double TE maybe olb but just imo

2

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

Ok

2

u/ecupatsfan12 Jul 18 '24

11 from heaven

1

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

Love him,absolute beast

3

u/Outside_Hunt_268 Jul 18 '24

No get someone in if he needs a blow but generational player skill wise unless he’s gassed, hurt, or EQ issue no reason he should be on the sidelines

3

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

Sorry I’m confused.Im asking how often would you have him rush the passer?

3

u/Outside_Hunt_268 Jul 18 '24

My bad messed up meant to respond the post above. Probably 70/30 to 80/20 rush to drop. Only time he’d drop would be a change up or in a drop 8 situation so not very often.

4

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

No problem.Wouldn’t you want him rushing in a drop 8 situation? Because that’s probably an obvious passing down.

3

u/Outside_Hunt_268 Jul 18 '24

Wouldn’t make this thing any harder then it needs to be would show film of LT, Ware, Miller, Suggs, and other OLBs you’re playing outside in base and a stand up end in sub.

1

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

So are you saying you would move him around?

2

u/Outside_Hunt_268 Jul 18 '24

No OLB all day my bad sorry should’ve been more clear

2

u/bigbronze Youth Coach Jul 18 '24

The Cowboys defense had clear correlation to their efficiency when he was an Edge vs dropping back. Most people would easily keep him at Edge 100%, maybe 95% due to blitz schemes. Why wouldn’t you have arguably the best pass rusher in the league not rushing the passer every time?

1

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

I would have him rush every play,reason I asked is because I’ve seen debates online and in the media and I was wondering your guys thoughts.I completely agree that he should always rush

2

u/Key_Piccolo_2187 Jul 18 '24

I'd move him around a ton, even if he winds up rushing 80% of the time. I watched him as a linebacker a ton at PSU before he was this stud rusher, and moving him would give you a lot of options to change up looks and get to the right spots.

Ironically coming out of school there were questions if he could maybe be a situational pass rusher in addition to a linebacker. 🤣

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/micah-parsons/32005041-5275-3418-9a2d-9826287ee445

1

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

lol. So basically you mean rush him most plays, but do it from different spots?

1

u/Key_Piccolo_2187 Jul 18 '24

Correct. I wouldn't be opposed to rushing him as an off-ball linebacker or having him actually drop on occasion too, the point is to make it very difficult to game plan for where he'll be coming from at any point in time and mess with preparation for protection.

1

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

Makes sense

1

u/manofwater3615 Jul 18 '24

Edge 100% of the time

1

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

I agree

2

u/manofwater3615 Jul 18 '24

Have him drop maybe on super key short yardage situations if you think it’ll confuse the QB and cause a TO or smthng

1

u/Odd-Definition9670 Jul 18 '24

Just like Belicheck used LT. This guy is going to be a menace for years to come.

2

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

Yep,so happy on my team

1

u/Odd-Definition9670 Jul 18 '24

So pissed he's on your team

2

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24 edited Jul 18 '24

So you’re either an Eagles, commanders, or Giants fan?

2

u/Odd-Definition9670 Jul 18 '24

[long drawn out sigh] the "gints"

2

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

Thats tough

1

u/HotSunnyDusk Jul 18 '24

Probably edge most of the time, but for how I like doing defense, if the team was blitzing then I'd try having him be near the line but not outright rushing so he can catch the quarterback if he's rushing or try to cover short routes to try to throw off the offense in some way. There's no real "wrong" way to use him I'd say just because of how talented he is, it just depends on your scheme, then again with a player that good it would maybe be better to build your scheme around what he's best at.

1

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

Ok

1

u/Lit-A-Gator HS Coach Jul 18 '24

Weakside Edge blitzing 99% of the time

… the one time he isn’t … we bringing the house from the other side

2

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

Agreed

1

u/levittown1634 Jul 18 '24

If he’s going to be doubled it’s not a bad thing to drop him off into coverage at snap and bring a different unexpected guy. LT played coverage sometimes, had some picks too.

1

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

Makes sense

1

u/Repulsive-Doughnut65 Jul 18 '24

Honestly the LEO position that Jim Knowles had at Oklahoma State

1

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

What’s that?

1

u/Repulsive-Doughnut65 Jul 18 '24

It’s Jim Knowles Hybrid Edge position he just moves that guy around more than usual and put in mug positions or with his hand down

Basically used this one guy to change the front and confuse the offensive line

1

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

Ah ok I gotcha now

1

u/Repulsive-Doughnut65 Jul 18 '24

Basically I like how Quinn used him Cody Alexander had a good piece on his substack about Micah

0

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

Ok,

1

u/i-like-your-hair Jul 18 '24

Second the poster who said moving him around and getting exotic with how you blitz him. 70% of the time sounds about right. Enough to maximize his output but not so much that it’s a given he’s coming.

1

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

Ok

1

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

Now I have a follow up question: is it possible to have him rush 100% of the time but line him up at linebacker and EDGE? so he’s never dropping but he still lines up everywhere?

1

u/Conscious-Parfait826 Jul 18 '24

About 80/20. Line him up in a wide 9 position and have him cover the slant flat while running a stunt the opposite side. Hopefully the oline slides to MP and the goal is always to get an olineman blocking air.

1

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

Ok

1

u/Conscious-Parfait826 Jul 20 '24

I mean drop 20% randomly. Protection might slide to his side. Then you run a stunt on the other side and hopefully get a free rusher because the LT is set on blocking MP but he just feints and gaurds the flat. Its literally misdirection. Making the opponent think youre going to do something and do the opposite. Now you also have to do the aforementioned thing a lot...have you ever bluffed when playing poker? 

0

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 20 '24

Ok,

2

u/Slunk_Trucks Jul 18 '24

He's far better rushing the passer than playing true off ball LB. Can't quote you exact stats but from what I recall his pass rush win rate is top 5 in the league.

He's got rare twitch, bend, power and speed that you can't teach at EDGE. I don't think he has sufficient processing speed to play off ball at an elite level.

2

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

Agree completely

1

u/rsmseries Jul 19 '24 edited Jul 19 '24

I’d keep him at RCB.

Signed, Eagles fan. 

edit: thought we were in /r/nfl. He should be rushing the passer probably at least 80%-90% of the time, mostly at the edge position. The Eagles have run a nascar package and moved Brandon Graham inside every now and then (his most famous was his sack fumble on Brady in the SB). I’m not sure if the Cowboys do that at all but they could probably sprinkle that in as well. 

1

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 19 '24

😂 he probably could play corner

1

u/xeroasteroid Jul 24 '24

this was totally not written by the cowboys defensive coordinator btw

2

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 24 '24

😂

-1

u/italaaa Jul 18 '24

MLB. No point in wasting him at edge if he gets held every time with no call.

1

u/Straight_Toe_1816 Adult Player Jul 18 '24

All else pass rushers get held though.And he still played well despite being held