PFF top 10 LBer units entering 2021 (Cowboys 6)

AsthmaField

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Parsons is a transitional LBer in an era that has been a bit void,,, some good ones being drafted recent like Queen, Bush, White,, etc feel free to add.
Parsons brings so much more to the table, I know its early, but some people are looking at Spears when we drafted Ware with this pick,,,
Parsons,, this dude is going to be loved by even @JoeKing and he said in this house that he would change his opinion of him and eat his words.. I even gave him to week 8 to live up to it... Im such a nice guy.
Parsons is a unique guy in a couple of ways that I believe makes him ideal for the role Dallas has planned for him.

First, his athleticism is difficult to put into words. For me, the best way to put it is that he moves like a cornerback but he is a 245 pound LB. He’s as twitchy, sudden and explosive a LB as I’ve ever seen. It really is amazing to watch because he gets to the ball so fast. On those A-gap blitzes they ran at Penn State, it is almost comical how quickly he’s on top of the QB. You can tell that the QB sees him coming… but by the time he processes that and begins to move, it’s too late and Parsons is home.

We’ve all heard people say, “he’s moving at a different speed than anyone else on the field’…. Well Micah is the first guy that I’ve seen ever really look that way. It’s amazing.

Secondly, he has a background as a pass rusher, which I think makes him really dangerous for QB’s. Ross Tucker said that he was the best high school pass rusher that he’d ever seen. He was a five star recruit as a guy who got after the QB. (Parsons actually was given a scholarship to Penn State as a high school Freshman.) Some analysts said that had Parsons entered the draft as an edge rusher, he would’ve been the best one in the draft.

So, he has a real knack for getting to the QB… which is one of those things that guys have or they don’t, I think. Like a RB with vision or a DB who is a ball-hawk. It is just a know-how that is developed at some point for a few guys. Parsons has that.

Finally, he is 100% alpha dog. That is something that I think the Dallas defense needed in a bad way. There are a couple of guys on the Dallas defense that have tried to fill that, but really, it just doesn’t seem that genuine. With Micah, you know it from jump street. That dude is a boss and everyone knows it.

You combine his crazy athleticism and size, with his natural feel for getting to the QB, and wrap that all in a bad attitude and I think he could make a real impact on the Dallas defense. He’s just a rare package that is exactly right for what the Cowboys want him to do and…. Well, you could have one of those type of players. The kind that galvanizes a defense… and a team.

He still has to prove himself, of course, but I’ll be very surprised if he doesn’t make an impact right away. But I’m a defensive guy, so I’m going to love a player like him.
 

Typhus

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Parsons is a unique guy in a couple of ways that I believe makes him ideal for the role Dallas has planned for him.

First, his athleticism is difficult to put into words. For me, the best way to put it is that he moves like a cornerback but he is a 245 pound LB. He’s as twitchy, sudden and explosive a LB as I’ve ever seen. It really is amazing to watch because he gets to the ball so fast. On those A-gap blitzes they ran at Penn State, it is almost comical how quickly he’s on top of the QB. You can tell that the QB sees him coming… but by the time he processes that and begins to move, it’s too late and Parsons is home.

We’ve all heard people say, “he’s moving at a different speed than anyone else on the field’…. Well Micah is the first guy that I’ve seen ever really look that way. It’s amazing.

Secondly, he has a background as a pass rusher, which I think makes him really dangerous for QB’s. Ross Tucker said that he was the best high school pass rusher that he’d ever seen. He was a five star recruit as a guy who got after the QB. (Parsons actually was given a scholarship to Penn State as a high school Freshman.) Some analysts said that had Parsons entered the draft as an edge rusher, he would’ve been the best one in the draft.

So, he has a real knack for getting to the QB… which is one of those things that guys have or they don’t, I think. Like a RB with vision or a DB who is a ball-hawk. It is just a know-how that is developed at some point for a few guys. Parsons has that.

Finally, he is 100% alpha dog. That is something that I think the Dallas defense needed in a bad way. There are a couple of guys on the Dallas defense that have tried to fill that, but really, it just doesn’t seem that genuine. With Micah, you know it from jump street. That dude is a boss and everyone knows it.

You combine his crazy athleticism and size, with his natural feel for getting to the QB, and wrap that all in a bad attitude and I think he could make a real impact on the Dallas defense. He’s just a rare package that is exactly right for what the Cowboys want him to do and…. Well, you could have one of those type of players. The kind that galvanizes a defense… and a team.

He still has to prove himself, of course, but I’ll be very surprised if he doesn’t make an impact right away. But I’m a defensive guy, so I’m going to love a player like him.
Im sure you already know this but just in case just looking at this mans history shows me something really special brewing here.

Parsons grew up playing football in the sunshine park. And started playing professionally while he attended high school. In his senior year, he rushed for 1239 yards and 27 touchdowns. He was a five-star recruit and ranked 4th in the class. He was recruited by Nebraska, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Alabama, and Penn State. After committing to Penn State on December 20th, 2017, in his freshman year, he managed to lead his team in tackles with 82.

Later in his sophomore year, he scored 109 tackles, 5 sacks, 3 deflected passes, and 3 forced fumbles. After scoring 14 tackles, 2 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles, he named the 2019 Cotton Bowl Classic defensive MVP of the game.
https://wealthyspy.com/micah-parsons/

I see the athletic bend to the ground like Ware had which will become much more evident once he starts getting more looks in camp, I watch his available PS tape and see that ability to get low with a bend off the edge and still fire in with power and that is a very rare skill set that very few I have ever seen,, its a core strength ability that is rare and thats what makes him dangerous.
Im just thankful that Parsons is a cowboy and not on one of our divisional teams,,, Im not even worried about what they did...but they should be worried about what we did.
Parsons is much more than a MLB.. :D

just had to edit,, this is just a big boy that can move and his size speed build ratio is dangerous at 6'3or4" 246 and runs a 4.39.... this kid has a skill set thats going to be
utilized and installed quickly,, I just hope Quinn works him in at the right speed, he will be important this year and there needs to be some reservations , but he is a smart kid.
 
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AsthmaField

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Im sure you already know this but just in case just looking at this mans history shows me something really special brewing here.

Parsons grew up playing football in the sunshine park. And started playing professionally while he attended high school. In his senior year, he rushed for 1239 yards and 27 touchdowns. He was a five-star recruit and ranked 4th in the class. He was recruited by Nebraska, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Alabama, and Penn State. After committing to Penn State on December 20th, 2017, in his freshman year, he managed to lead his team in tackles with 82.

Later in his sophomore year, he scored 109 tackles, 5 sacks, 3 deflected passes, and 3 forced fumbles. After scoring 14 tackles, 2 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles, he named the 2019 Cotton Bowl Classic defensive MVP of the game.
https://wealthyspy.com/micah-parsons/

I see the athletic bend to the ground like Ware had which will become much more evident once he starts getting more looks in camp, I watch his available PS tape and see that ability to get low with a bend off the edge and still fire in with power and that is a very rare skill set that very few I have ever seen,, its a core strength ability that is rare and thats what makes him dangerous.
Im just thankful that Parsons is a cowboy and not on one of our divisional teams,,, Im not even worried about what they did...but they should be worried about what we did.
Parsons is much more than a MLB.. :D
When I thought Dallas was probably going to go with Horn or Surtain, I was worried about Parsons going to NYG… or even having Washington move up for him.

But it worked out well, thank god. I’m thrilled with him in Dallas.
 

Typhus

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When I thought Dallas was probably going to go with Horn or Surtain, I was worried about Parsons going to NYG… or even having Washington move up for him.

But it worked out well, thank god. I’m thrilled with him in Dallas.
Me as well, but Quinn cant even sleep yet at night.
 

AsthmaField

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Me as well, but Quinn cant even sleep yet at night.
True enough. For all the potential, Micah has to do it on the field still. I get so excited about his ability… but it needs to translate. I really think it will, but we need to see it.
 

AsthmaField

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What are some of your early opinions on the back seven, I ask because I respect your opinion,, this could become a very long thread because this back seven got a lot deeper despite what many of the negative I dont know the name commentary drivel....lol
We should all be thankful that we have this back seven
Yeah, it could be a long thread, haha.

I like the potential back there and I like the scheme that Quinn will run. And I think that Whitt is a really good secondary coach.

However, there’s a lot of moving parts there and frankly, we don’t even know who’s going to start where. I think Diggs will be fine. I have hope for Joseph because he’s just so dang talented… but I’m going to need to see it with him before I’ll feel like he is going to fill the spot opposite Diggs. I do think he’ll be at least solid because of his talent but he’s raw.

I actually think both Lewis and Brown are solid slot guys and if Joseph can manage the outside, I think the corners will be fine. Things are a little more dicey with Brown starting outside, I think.

Wright has a chance to hit because he just has silly movement skills for a 6-4 corner but again, I need to see it before I feel like that’s a hit. He does have big time ball skills, which is great.

If Kazee stays healthy, I think the FS spot will be in the best shape it has been in a long time. Kazee can play and the ball has always seems to find him.

SS should be fine with a combination of Wilson, Kearse, And possibly even Neal, though I think the coaches only want him at LB.

Overall, the secondary is full of ball skills. There are a lot of ball-hawks back there. IMO, the INT’s are going to go way up… particularly if the pass rush can significantly improve.

So, yeah, there are a lot of “if’s” there and I don’t see any way to really feel good about the secondary without first watching them play and getting an idea of how they’ll mesh. I’m hopeful, but I just don’t know.

I do love the ball skills on the back end, and Joseph has a ton of potential but I’ll wait to see how it plays out. Kazee will help a lot if he can stay on the field. He’s moving way better than I thought he would be only 7 months out from surgery, I can tell you that.
 

Typhus

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Yeah, it could be a long thread, haha.

I like the potential back there and I like the scheme that Quinn will run. And I think that Whitt is a really good secondary coach.

However, there’s a lot of moving parts there and frankly, we don’t even know who’s going to start where. I think Diggs will be fine. I have hope for Joseph because he’s just so dang talented… but I’m going to need to see it with him before I’ll feel like he is going to fill the spot opposite Diggs. I do think he’ll be at least solid because of his talent but he’s raw.

I actually think both Lewis and Brown are solid slot guys and if Joseph can manage the outside, I think the corners will be fine. Things are a little more dicey with Brown starting outside, I think.

Wright has a chance to hit because he just has silly movement skills for a 6-4 corner but again, I need to see it before I feel like that’s a hit. He does have big time ball skills, which is great.

If Kazee stays healthy, I think the FS spot will be in the best shape it has been in a long time. Kazee can play and the ball has always seems to find him.

SS should be fine with a combination of Wilson, Kearse, And possibly even Neal, though I think the coaches only want him at LB.

Overall, the secondary is full of ball skills. There are a lot of ball-hawks back there. IMO, the INT’s are going to go way up… particularly if the pass rush can significantly improve.

So, yeah, there are a lot of “if’s” there and I don’t see any way to really feel good about the secondary without first watching them play and getting an idea of how they’ll mesh. I’m hopeful, but I just don’t know.

I do love the ball skills on the back end, and Joseph has a ton of potential but I’ll wait to see how it plays out. Kazee will help a lot if he can stay on the field. He’s moving way better than I thought he would be only 7 months out from surgery, I can tell you that.
Im hoping that Neal and Kazee can help in translation and possibly help to fast track the scheme.
I believe this defense is looking forward to playing in Quinns Zone scheme, its a young defense and you are point on that there are a lot of moving pieces but that may not be the worst scenario to have, lol
We got some depth that can be interchangeable and that is going to be key.
You turn the big boys in the back seven around to face the QB, I dont know exactly how the safetys are going to be deployed, but when you looks at the bios of who was being drafted they obviously wanted to add some
height and wing span if we want to talk metrics.
Just saying that I agree that its going to be really interesting how this back seven unfolds.
 

NoLuv4Jerry

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The amount of people that think scheme, injuries, coaching, lack of OTAs due to Covid etc...are the issues with Jaylon Smith is just laughable. You are in denial. If he were in the right place at the right time and could not finish because of physical limitations...I would buy that...but he is targeted more than anyone else on this defense....and that leads me to believe the opposition see's what the ALL-22 showed me.

His only asset is to use straight line speed to tackle someone AFTER the requisite yardage is gained. You can get that from a late round rookie. He does not anticipate. He does not force the action. He does not shoot the gap. He does not undercut routes. He would have to significantly improve....to just be solid. And the draft capital and cap space he occupies calls for him to be a playmaker and provide game changing impact.
 

TheMarathonContinues

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I agree his play was average at best but I'm not sure he was ever totally healthy last year.

March 26, 2021 03:48 PM
Cowboys' Leighton Vander Esch: Recovered from ankle injury
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire


Vander Esch no longer has an injury designation, David Helman of the team's official site reports.

After spending a handful of games in 2020 on the sidelines due to various injuries, Vander Esch is good to go for the upcoming year. In his 10 matchups during last season, the linebacker recorded 60 tackles (32 solo), one sack and one forced fumble. When healthy, Vander Esch flashed promise, posting a career high in tackles in 2019 (140) and seven pass breakups through 16 games.



January 17, 2021 11:44 AM
Cowboys' Leighton Vander Esch: Battles through injuries again
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire


Vander Esch recorded 60 tackles (32 solo) while adding a sack and a forced fumble over 10 games in 2020.

The linebacker once again couldn't stay healthy, suffering a broken collarbone in Week 1 and then missing the final two games of the year with an ankle injury, but Vander Esch also wasn't as productive when he was on the field, and he only managed two games with double-digit tackles as his snap count was often limited. The Cowboys are bringing in a new defensive coordinator in Dan Quinn, which should help the unit's performance as a whole, but if LVE can't avoid landing on IR a couple times a year, a better scheme won't be enough for him to regain his 2018 form
I think he was hurt but im saying even when healthy he struggled. This goes back to the past two seasons of poor play specifically that Rams playoff game is where things really got bad.
 

CCBoy

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Parsons is a unique guy in a couple of ways that I believe makes him ideal for the role Dallas has planned for him.

First, his athleticism is difficult to put into words. For me, the best way to put it is that he moves like a cornerback but he is a 245 pound LB. He’s as twitchy, sudden and explosive a LB as I’ve ever seen. It really is amazing to watch because he gets to the ball so fast. On those A-gap blitzes they ran at Penn State, it is almost comical how quickly he’s on top of the QB. You can tell that the QB sees him coming… but by the time he processes that and begins to move, it’s too late and Parsons is home.

We’ve all heard people say, “he’s moving at a different speed than anyone else on the field’…. Well Micah is the first guy that I’ve seen ever really look that way. It’s amazing.

Secondly, he has a background as a pass rusher, which I think makes him really dangerous for QB’s. Ross Tucker said that he was the best high school pass rusher that he’d ever seen. He was a five star recruit as a guy who got after the QB. (Parsons actually was given a scholarship to Penn State as a high school Freshman.) Some analysts said that had Parsons entered the draft as an edge rusher, he would’ve been the best one in the draft.

So, he has a real knack for getting to the QB… which is one of those things that guys have or they don’t, I think. Like a RB with vision or a DB who is a ball-hawk. It is just a know-how that is developed at some point for a few guys. Parsons has that.

Finally, he is 100% alpha dog. That is something that I think the Dallas defense needed in a bad way. There are a couple of guys on the Dallas defense that have tried to fill that, but really, it just doesn’t seem that genuine. With Micah, you know it from jump street. That dude is a boss and everyone knows it.

You combine his crazy athleticism and size, with his natural feel for getting to the QB, and wrap that all in a bad attitude and I think he could make a real impact on the Dallas defense. He’s just a rare package that is exactly right for what the Cowboys want him to do and…. Well, you could have one of those type of players. The kind that galvanizes a defense… and a team.

He still has to prove himself, of course, but I’ll be very surprised if he doesn’t make an impact right away. But I’m a defensive guy, so I’m going to love a player like him.
Think now, there will be more 3-4 sets?
 

CCBoy

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Im hoping that Neal and Kazee can help in translation and possibly help to fast track the scheme.
I believe this defense is looking forward to playing in Quinns Zone scheme, its a young defense and you are point on that there are a lot of moving pieces but that may not be the worst scenario to have, lol
We got some depth that can be interchangeable and that is going to be key.
You turn the big boys in the back seven around to face the QB, I dont know exactly how the safetys are going to be deployed, but when you looks at the bios of who was being drafted they obviously wanted to add some
height and wing span if we want to talk metrics.
Just saying that I agree that its going to be really interesting how this back seven unfolds.
They make all potential sets much more intensive...
 

jterrell

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Whats clear once again in this thread is people watch the home team but are clueless about the rest of the league.

LB is pretty much atrocious in this era.
Very few guys can play all 3 downs.

Only 10 LB scored at or above a 70 last year by PFF grade.

63!!! WRs scored a 70 or higher.
23 Quarterbacks... 23 QBs.


LB play has been really really bad and PFF scores them almost as harshly as fans.

But the position is also tough to play because the game has moved to space everyone out then attack you with power or speed depending upon the defense.
It's like playing LB in flag football which I can attest super sucks.
 

HappyOnions

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Again, it's one of those "they look great on paper" lists... If you ignore the complete dumpster fire that was last season.

If it's assumed that last season was an anomaly because of Mike Nolan, then I can almost understand that ranking.

Still, LVE is the new Sean Lee. Jaylon is great at filling up the stat sheet but only after the first down has been made for the other team. Parsons is an elite, yet unproven prospect and Cox has some upside but also, unproven.
 

john van brocklin

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This kid immediately upgrades was our weakest defensive unit........just me, but this is a home run pick



6. DALLAS COWBOYS
To accept Dallas this high on the list, look beyond the disaster that was their 2020 season and acknowledge the talent they have at the position, particularly factoring in rookies. Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch were both poor in 2020, with neither earning an overall PFF grade above 55.0 and injuries also being a factor. Each player has a previous season with an 84.0-plus grade on their resume. They are now joined by Micah Parsons, the best linebacker prospect to enter the league in several seasons. This unit has incredible potential, but it needs to translate that into real production.

Wut?
Lol
Let's not get carried away!
 
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