What Will We Do With Parsons When Gregory Comes Back?

MountaineerCowboy

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Who's the better pass rusher? Parsons or Gregory? My pick: Parsons

Who's the better pass rusher? Parsons or Lawrence? My pick: Parsons

We need to play to our strengths. You cannot have not only YOUR best pass rusher, but one of the best pass rushers in the NFL 15 yards down field in coverage on a RB or TE the majority of the time.

I fear the once we have Gregory and Lawrence back that the coaches are going to screw this up by taking an elite edge rusher and making him play LB 85% of the time.

Let's stop pretending, okay? Parsons is LT, Von Miller, or Derrick Thomas. That's what we have here. Let's not get cute with it.
 

tyke1doe

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Gregory and Lawrence are too valuable to sit. And they can't play linebacker.
Parsons can. He's more versatile.
I think you create packages for Parsons so he can rush some. But all three need to be on the field at the same time.
Both Lawrence and Gregory need reps. You can't sit them just because Parsons appears to be the better pass rusher.
During playoffs, teams will scheme to take Parsons out of the mix. You make him the wild card.
Having said thus, this is a good dilemma to have.
 

jazzcat22

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Do not disregard the combination of the Lawrence - Gregory Duo. And the trio of Parsons at MLB.
We have yet to see them on the field together since week 1. And also not with Parsons since his emergence.

Parsons at MLB can still be that guy. As he can go sideline to sideline stopping plays, especially in the run game. If the runner gets to the edge, there will be Parsons. We have not had that for a long time.
He can also line up at DE, for if DLaw or Gregory takes a breather, or in a stunt. Or he can come up in the middle to blitz, or fake a blitz.

To me, how about we take a look at this Line-up first before we start saying play him at DE full time.
 

tyke1doe

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Do not disregard the combination of the Lawrence - Gregory Duo. And the trio of Parsons at MLB.
We have yet to see them on the field together since week 1. And also not with Parsons since his emergence.

Parsons at MLB can still be that guy. As he can go sideline to sideline stopping plays, especially in the run game. If the runner gets to the edge, there will be Parsons. We have not had that for a long time.
He can also line up at DE, for if DLaw or Gregory takes a breather, or in a stunt. Or he can come up in the middle to blitz, or fake a blitz.

To me, how about we take a look at this Line-up first before we start saying play him at DE full time.

Good points.
Teams are going to run more in the playoffs.
Look at the Bucs and now the Packers, both of whom seem to be powering up their run games with Fournette and the dual-headed monster of Jones and Dillion.
If we can't stop the run with the quarterbacks we're going to be facing (Brady and Rodgers), we're dead in the water. We're going to need a sideline-to-sideline linebacker like Parsons, especially in cold weather should we have to play Green Bay @ Lambeau Field in January.
 

MountaineerCowboy

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Gregory and Lawrence are too valuable to sit. And they can't play linebacker.
Parsons can. He's more versatile.
I think you create packages for Parsons so he can rush some. But all three need to be on the field at the same time.
Both Lawrence and Gregory need reps. You can't sit them just because Parsons appears to be the better pass rusher.
During playoffs, teams will scheme to take Parsons out of the mix. You make him the wild card.
Having said thus, this is a good dilemma to have.
I don't think we should sit them at all, but we shouldn't have our best pass rusher rushing the passer at a much more reduced rate.
 

tunahelper

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Gregory and Lawrence are too valuable to sit. And they can't play linebacker.
Parsons can. He's more versatile.
I think you create packages for Parsons so he can rush some. But all three need to be on the field at the same time.
Both Lawrence and Gregory need reps. You can't sit them just because Parsons appears to be the better pass rusher.
During playoffs, teams will scheme to take Parsons out of the mix. You make him the wild card.
Having said thus, this is a good dilemma to have.

They put Lawrence inside some against the Saints. Should be a nice problem .
 

xwalker

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Who's the better pass rusher? Parsons or Gregory? My pick: Parsons

Who's the better pass rusher? Parsons or Lawrence? My pick: Parsons

We need to play to our strengths. You cannot have not only YOUR best pass rusher, but one of the best pass rushers in the NFL 15 yards down field in coverage on a RB or TE the majority of the time.

I fear the once we have Gregory and Lawrence back that the coaches are going to screw this up by taking an elite edge rusher and making him play LB 85% of the time.

Let's stop pretending, okay? Parsons is LT, Von Miller, or Derrick Thomas. That's what we have here. Let's not get cute with it.

Parson's best attribute that is that he can play everywhere.

The NFL is all about matchups and deception.

Any NFL QB can beat a defense if he knows exactly what they're going to do on each snap.

They missed having Parsons at LB in the Raiders game because he was playing primarily as a pass rusher.
- It is much more obvious when reviewing game footage than when watching it in real time.

DE Gregory is a better NFL player than LB Neal.
- Taking Gregory off the field and replacing him with Parsons means that Neal replaces Parsons.

You have the choice of 2 players on the field:
- DE Parsons, LB Neal
- DE Gregory, LB Parsons

Since Parsons is in both choices, it's really a choice of:
- Gregory or Neal
 

jazzcat22

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Don't forget, we will get Gallimore back, and Hill. Both of them in the middle will be a big help. If they play like the team and fans hopes they can play. From what was expected at the beginning of the season. Though both were out from the start.

Not only if they can run block. But if they can pass rush also, as an unit, then there are now 5 players an offense needs to contend with. Some one will get double teamed, possibly, then who get to the QB, or they need to keep an extra blocker in. Which means the secondary has one less receiver to cover.

Well, in theory this should work. But need to see it first.
 

xwalker

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Who's the better pass rusher? Parsons or Gregory? My pick: Parsons

Who's the better pass rusher? Parsons or Lawrence? My pick: Parsons

We need to play to our strengths. You cannot have not only YOUR best pass rusher, but one of the best pass rushers in the NFL 15 yards down field in coverage on a RB or TE the majority of the time.

I fear the once we have Gregory and Lawrence back that the coaches are going to screw this up by taking an elite edge rusher and making him play LB 85% of the time.

Let's stop pretending, okay? Parsons is LT, Von Miller, or Derrick Thomas. That's what we have here. Let's not get cute with it.
  • In the image below, they have:
    • 3 Hand Down DLinemen (DLaw is the Hand Down DE inside of Parsons)
    • 1 Stand Up DE (Armstrong)
    • 1 OLB aligned identical to a "3-4" OLB (Parsons)
    • 1 Off-Ball LB (LVE)
    • 1 SS in the box next to LVE (Kearse)
    • 5 DBs total (CB Lewis as the NCB)
  • If the offense runs a pass play:
    • They can rush 5 with Parsons as a pass rusher.
    • They can rush 4 with Armstrong dropping into zone coverage.
    • They can rush 4 with Parsons dropping into coverage.
  • Parsons in that alignment completely shuts down:
    • QB roll-outs (Even QB roll-outs to the other side because Parsons will just go deep/wide against the OT and chase down the QB)
    • Outside runs to his side.
    • Pass routes by the RB to his side.
Parsons can also pick up a TE or WR in coverage when Quinn wants to mix it up.

 

CalPolyTechnique

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I have faith that Quinn will continue to figure out ways to utilize Parsons. If this was the past regime under Garrett and Maranelli, I’d be worried…
 

Doomsday101

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Heck put him at tailback. Couldn’t be any worse than Zeke & like DEfensive end he hasn’t done it since highschool.

You might as well put him on the Oline, issue is not RB, while it is easy to point to the person with the ball fact is neither Pollard or Zeke were getting any room to run, both avg under 3 yards a carry until Pollard hit the lone run. Issue is OL is not opening holes and not providing much in terms of protection. This is an area the coaches will need to figure out and adjust.
 

CowboysFaninHouston

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Who's the better pass rusher? Parsons or Gregory? My pick: Parsons

Who's the better pass rusher? Parsons or Lawrence? My pick: Parsons

We need to play to our strengths. You cannot have not only YOUR best pass rusher, but one of the best pass rushers in the NFL 15 yards down field in coverage on a RB or TE the majority of the time.

I fear the once we have Gregory and Lawrence back that the coaches are going to screw this up by taking an elite edge rusher and making him play LB 85% of the time.

Let's stop pretending, okay? Parsons is LT, Von Miller, or Derrick Thomas. That's what we have here. Let's not get cute with it.
both Gregory and Lawrence can be assets. they are much better than Armstrong and whomever is playing instead of Gregory, which allows the defense to focus on Parsons and Osa (whose play has dropped since Gregory has been out). Having those two forces the defense to focus on them, they are not as good as Parsons, but it doesn't mean they are not going to help elevate this defense to the next level.

maybe more blitzes by Parsons, maybe more stacked formations, lining up behind gregory or lawrence, he can attack up the middle. so having Hill, Gallimore, Osa should help provide him some lanes and if nothing else, if defenses feel that they have to stop parsons, then gregory and lawrence, osa, hill, gallimore will get more opportunities. But I am with you, he shouldn't be playing 15 yards down field. maybe once in a while to throw off an offense, but he should be in full attack mode as a priority
 
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