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McCarthy said that the morning after the first round that he and Quinn met and talked about how to deploy Parsons. He said they think he can play both “off the ball” and “on the ball” because he’s so good at rushing the QB. He said they want him to be used in many ways.I'd play him at the Will because he's more free to use his speed and run to the ball. I see him being the designated MLB in the nickel.
“Off the ball” is like what you’re talking about at Will or Mike LB. “On the ball’ would be either as the SAM in a 43-under standing at the line of scrimmage, or as the LEO as the de facto right DE.
He made it sound like they would use him both ways, meaning as a run and hit LB where he could traditionally blitz, or on the line where he would be more of a pass rusher than a blitzer… although he would be able to drop into coverage if they wanted him to.
We don’t know for sure how or where they’ll use him but with what they talked about after the first round… it sounds like both ways, which I’d be good with.
In a Sports Illustrated article, they say that Pete Carroll, when he was at USC played Clay Matthews as the SAM and people thought they were running a 34 scheme because Matthews was lined up outside the big end (LDE) on the line of scrimmage. So in that LB spot, Parsons would be considered “on the ball”.
In that same article, they say that the SAM ‘backer can also move over to the LEO spot, which makes me think they might use Parsons some at LEO and SAM.
I could see them using Micah some at Mike or Will, some at SAM and some at LEO. I’m not sure if they will, but I’d like to see it. It would depend on what formation as well as down and distance.
Ultimately, it seems like we’re just going to have to wait to see how they’ll use him. But it doesn’t sound like they’re just going to stick him at one LB spot and leave him there.