Will Parsons be a Hybrid LB/DE?

[Jkyle]

It will be interesting seeing how Zimmer will use Parsons. Will he play a mixture of LB and DE or stay as a DE.
He obviously wears down by the end of the season playing DE. He's just not built physically to sustain the pounding at the DE position.
I imagine he will use him more as a LB and have him rush from that position more than on the edge and unleash him on 3rd down passing situations.
I worry that Micah will want to stay at DE due to the higher pay for that position.

 

[cnuball21]

I don’t care what we call him I just want him playing downhill and rushing the passer as much as possible.

Moving him off ball more would be taking away his greatest strength.

 

[Mr_437]

Micah is a great chess piece for the double A gap blitz look, so I expect Zim to move him around a bit. However, I think Micah will be rushing the passer the majority of his snaps.

 

[speedkilz88]

He should play LB on early downs. I think a true 3-4 base would be the best scheme for him.

 

[Majic]

One of the biggest questions going into the season. Mike Zimmer's long term future depends on what he gets out of Parsons. The scheme should fit the players, that's what we were told, but that has not been the case so far with Parsons.

 

[quickccc]

Imo. Parsons will likely to take the DE role that Danielle Hunter did with Zimm's vikings team -
RDE edge rusher in Zimm's 4-3 scheme.

Micah is still listed by some at his NFL draft weight, but he's supposedly added more bulk as much as 255-260 last heard.
Both players maybe in that 260 pound range ...
- Hunter 265
- Parsons 260

I've been back and forward with this thinking but I cannot see Parsons dropping back in coverage on a regular basis,
when he helps this team best creating such havoc in the opposing backfield vs QBs so very often.

That (coverage) would be just helping and making life much easier to the opposing teams. Would they rather see Parsons coming at them
on the pass rush, or dropping back in coverage ?

 

[quickccc]

He should play LB on early downs. I think a true 3-4 base would be the best scheme for him.

it would.
just as it does for TJ Watt and the Steelers traditional 3-4.

But now its about how creative a preferable 4-3 DC, can scheme plan for a 250+ pound DE, without wearing and burning
him down vs 340 OTs on a regular every down basis.

Do we implement a bigger DE to help complement Parsons - just as Broncos DC Jack Del Rio did with DWare in Denver (en route to a SB too)
The only option i see is how Broncos/Bills schemed OLB Von Miller in their 4-3 scheme in when to rush/when to play backer off the ball.

Ditto with Philly when Hasson Riddick was both LB and edge rusher - Dunno how Riddick will be now used/schemed in NY Jets
and their 4-3.

 

[DeaconMoss]

That's his natural position. Hybrid. Move him around please Zim.

 

[Coogiguy03]

Play him as little as possible!! Save him if we POSSIBLY make the playoffs

 

[Bullflop]

No doubt but what he'd be better off serving a hybrid LB type of position.

The physical abuse he had to absorb vs. bigger players was damaging!

 

[xwalker]

I don’t care what we call him I just want him playing downhill and rushing the passer as much as possible.

Moving him off ball more would be taking away his greatest strength.

13 sacks as a rookie while playing more snaps at LB than at DE.

He only started 4 games at DE that season...

 

[xwalker]

It will be interesting seeing how Zimmer will use Parsons. Will he play a mixture of LB and DE or stay as a DE.
He obviously wears down by the end of the season playing DE. He's just not built physically to sustain the pounding at the DE position.
I imagine he will use him more as a LB and have him rush from that position more than on the edge and unleash him on 3rd down passing situations.
I worry that Micah will want to stay at DE due to the higher pay for that position.

More than 50% ar DE but far more snaps at LB than last season.

Opponent offensive game plans last season became "find the Micah"...

Zimmer
1st down: LB
3rd & short: LB
3rd & medium/long: DE

2nd down: ?

 

[Siroky]

It will be interesting seeing how Zimmer will use Parsons. Will he play a mixture of LB and DE or stay as a DE.
He obviously wears down by the end of the season playing DE. He's just not built physically to sustain the pounding at the DE position.
I imagine he will use him more as a LB and have him rush from that position more than on the edge and unleash him on 3rd down passing situations.
I worry that Micah will want to stay at DE due to the higher pay for that position.

Im beating the drum for This ! Play him at the LT 3/4 linebacker position - De Dlaw and Kneeland run stoppers. - Sam and Micha speed pass rushers

 

[DCBoysfan]

I am also very curious to see how Zim is going to deploy Micah.

 

[dogberry]

When Parsons plays LB, he is a MLB or he moves to manipulate the offense?

 

[LatinMind]

It will be interesting seeing how Zimmer will use Parsons. Will he play a mixture of LB and DE or stay as a DE.
He obviously wears down by the end of the season playing DE. He's just not built physically to sustain the pounding at the DE position.
I imagine he will use him more as a LB and have him rush from that position more than on the edge and unleash him on 3rd down passing situations.
I worry that Micah will want to stay at DE due to the higher pay for that position.

He's been a hybrid his whole career, nothing will change. But I'm sure he gets more snaps from de, or they might start to question the de designation on his option

 

[LACowboysFan1]

He obviously wears down by the end of the season playing DE. He's just not built physically to sustain the pounding at the DE position.

Agreed. We saw what happened to Ware when he went from the mostly OLB position to the mostly DE position, had missed very little time but after the move he began to get beat up more. And he was 10 lbs (if memory serves) heavier than Parsons.

But just imagine what Zimmer could do with Parsons if the Cowboys had a top pass rusher besides him. If Williams could get his head out of his rear end and quit with the dumb penalties Cowboys might have something....

 

[gimmesix]

It will be interesting seeing how Zimmer will use Parsons. Will he play a mixture of LB and DE or stay as a DE.
He obviously wears down by the end of the season playing DE. He's just not built physically to sustain the pounding at the DE position.
I imagine he will use him more as a LB and have him rush from that position more than on the edge and unleash him on 3rd down passing situations.
I worry that Micah will want to stay at DE due to the higher pay for that position.

I think he'll play linebacker on early downs, but rarely drop into coverage. He allows us to bring him up into gaps at any spot along the line to either attack with a fifth defender (run or pass blitz) or drop out a less-productive defensive lineman. Just putting him at end would benefit an offense attempting to assign blockers to him. Offenses will essentially still know he's coming but not from where until right before the snap, and not who's coming with him.

I know Zimmer likes the Double-A, but I don't see him exclusively lining Parsons up in an A gap when we are in the 4-3. In the nickel, which we'll be in mostly anyway, he'll probably mainly line up at end.

 

[KJJ]

He needs to play a position where he still has something left in the tank by the playoffs. His playoff performances have been blah!

 

[diamonddelts]

Parsons is a true hybrid. Half man, half skates.