Can this Defense be built around Parsons?

Coogiguy03

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First answer that comes to mind, is do the Cowboys actually understand what it takes to build a defense (front office). I'm sure there's plenty of coaches, and player personnel that actually know how to do this, but Jerry and Stephen have their own vision of doing things

Second- With all that Micah has going on in being a young gifted athlete, is he mature enough to handle this and be the leader that we'd need him to be??

Third- Will MIcah be around long enough for us to build a team around him? It was mentioned he only wants to play until he's 30, is it worth investing so much in a guy that doesn't want to be around longer??? Please give your thoughts
 

John813

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1. J&S have a super conservative way of building the team, period.
2. He's a top defensive player in the league. Can't comment on leadership, but you can definitely build around him.
3. He's 25 years old. You got 5 years, or basically his prime years left. 5 years is a long *** time in the NFL.
 

charron

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You can do anything if you throw enough resources at it. The hardest part is we do not know who is here long term.
 
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First answer that comes to mind, is do the Cowboys actually understand what it takes to build a defense (front office). I'm sure there's plenty of coaches, and player personnel that actually know how to do this, but Jerry and Stephen have their own vision of doing things

Second- With all that Micah has going on in being a young gifted athlete, is he mature enough to handle this and be the leader that we'd need him to be??

Third- Will MIcah be around long enough for us to build a team around him? It was mentioned he only wants to play until he's 30, is it worth investing so much in a guy that doesn't want to be around longer??? Please give your thoughts
Id say you can't build a defense around any one person,,, in fact the only thing you can build it around is a solid DL or front 7. Fix that and everything gets better.
 

rnr_honeybadger

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You can do anything if you throw enough resources at it. The hardest part is we do not know who is here long term.
Sure, but in a salary cap era it forces fiscal responsibility since you have a set budget and you are now forced to allocate the budget in a manner that allows you to field the best team possible. The problem is the general approach to talent evaluation that the Cowboys operate under. This franchise more than any other I have seen in the last 20+ years overvalues its own players while undervaluing FA talent.
 

Hawkeye0202

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2. He's a top defensive player in the league. Can't comment on leadership, but you can definitely build around him.
3. He's 25 years old. You got 5 years, or basically his prime years left. 5 years is a long *** time in the NFL
You can but you don't have to in order to win a Super Bowl. Defenses don't win Super Bowls, teams do. My point is most Super Bowl-winning teams have an outstanding coach, and at least TWO elite playmakers on BOTH sides of the ball, one def being a QB. Arron Donald as great of player as he was only has one Super Bowl which he just recently won a few years ago. JJ Watts doesn't have one, nor does his brother JT. In fact, JT Watts never won a playoff game.

The bottom line is you can build a very strong defense with him but that alone isn't getting you a Super Bowl.
 

Flamma

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Id say you can't build a defense around any one person,,, in fact the only thing you can build it around is a solid DL or front 7. Fix that and everything gets better.
You can't build a defense around one person. You need multiple impact players to have an elite defense. That is very hard to do in the salary cap era when most of the money is going to the offense. You have to actually luck into an elite defense like the 2013 Seahawks. They shut down one of the most prolific offenses the NFL has ever seen. But that was only because they not only drafted well, but hit on elite players in later rounds.
 

CATCH17

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Defense in the NFL is like special teams.

You can’t depend on defense.

So get this thought out of your head that we will ever have some juggernaut defense when the NFL doesn’t allow for it.

Sacks, turnovers, and point averages low is all you can hope for.



When you pay a QB like we do they have to do more heavy lifting.
 

Hawkeye0202

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If you look at most top defenses, they are led by one or two, maybe three elite players. The rest are quality/solid starters or role players. It is rare to see a team with defensive players on huge 2nd contracts at all four positions ( CB, DT, LBer and DE ). But you could def see a team paying big money at two defensive positions AND having top draft rookies at the other positions.
 

Hawkeye0202

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You can't build a defense around one person. You need multiple impact players to have an elite defense. That is very hard to do in the salary cap era when most of the money is going to the offense. You have to actually luck into an elite defense like the 2013 Seahawks. They shut down one of the most prolific offenses the NFL has ever seen. But that was only because they not only drafted well, but hit on elite players in later rounds.
Exactly........and a top defensive coordinator can hide a few warts
 

Hawkeye0202

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Sacks, turnovers, and point averages low is all you can hope for.
True .......remember Belichick saying his defenses focused on TWO major stats, turnovers and keeping points off the scoreboard. I always held on hearing that coz it made sense. If your defense wins these two stats, you are going to win a lot of games.
 

John813

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You can but you don't have to in order to win a Super Bowl. Defenses don't win Super Bowls, teams do. My point is most Super Bowl-winning teams have an outstanding coach, and at least TWO elite playmakers on BOTH sides of the ball, one def being a QB. Arron Donald as great of player as he was only has one Super Bowl which he just recently won a few years ago. JJ Watts doesn't have one, nor does his brother JT. In fact, JT Watts never won a playoff game.

The bottom line is you can build a very strong defense with him but that alone isn't getting you a Super Bowl.

Chris Jones has 3. Just a step below Donald. Donald went to 2 superbowls and the one he "lost" the defense gave up 13 points.

Just stated he's 25, has many years left and can be a focal player on defense. I assume the OP was referring to paying him the big bucks in regards to "building around".

Why we talking superbowl when this team can't get past the divisional(lol), nor was it a topic of the OP?
 

Hawkeye0202

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Why we talking superbowl when this team can't get past the divisional(lol), nor was it a topic of the OP?
Isn't that the ultimate goal John? I mean the reason for "building a defense" around one player?
 

John813

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Isn't that the ultimate goal John? I mean the reason for "building a defense" around one player?

I mean, isn't that a team goal?


Are we supposed to let elite defenders go?
Did 49ers make a mistake re-signing Bosa and Warner?
Guess Chiefs screwed up re-signing Jones multiple times to big deals. Should of traded him over Hill, right?
 

Hawkeye0202

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I mean, isn't that a team goal?


Are we supposed to let elite defenders go?
Did 49ers make a mistake re-signing Bosa and Warneuild a
No, no, no, ...that's not what I am saying. Hell, I think we should keep Parsons and sign him. The point I was trying to make (didn't do a good job) it doesn't take several top defensive players to build a good defense. So you won't need two, three or four more elite players around him to have a solid defense. o win

My other point was to fans who think once he gets paid, he has to win a Super Bowl to prove he is worth his contract and just not true for defensive players.
 

Bobhaze

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First answer that comes to mind, is do the Cowboys actually understand what it takes to build a defense (front office). I'm sure there's plenty of coaches, and player personnel that actually know how to do this, but Jerry and Stephen have their own vision of doing things

Second- With all that Micah has going on in being a young gifted athlete, is he mature enough to handle this and be the leader that we'd need him to be??

Third- Will MIcah be around long enough for us to build a team around him? It was mentioned he only wants to play until he's 30, is it worth investing so much in a guy that doesn't want to be around longer??? Please give your thoughts
In answer to the question in the OP- “Can this defense be built around Micah Parsons?” The answer to that question is is two pronged:
  1. Yes, we could build around Parsons IF we had a front office that knew HOW to do that. The Jones front office is pretty good at acquiring talent in the draft. But their big picture strategic talent acquisition through free agency and trades is very weak. We should be able to build around Parsons if there was a strategy outside of the draft and develop model.
  2. The Jones front office’s biggest strength is marketing not strategic talent acquisition. They have a very full resume of failure in the cap era to be able to build a deep, well rounded championship roster. They have never proved in the cap era they know HOW to do that. The cap mystifies them. The great GMs like KC’s Brett Veach, the rams Les Snead and even young up and coming lions GM Brad Holmes, are all mastering the cap, not complaining about its limitations.
 

Hawkeye0202

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The great GMs like KC’s Brett Veach, the rams Les Snead and even young up and coming lions GM Brad Holmes, are all mastering the cap, not complaining about its limitations.
These GMs are paid and held accountable but Stephen and Jerry? Well, they are just paid (LOL)
 

John813

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No, no, no, ...that's not what I am saying. Hell, I think we should keep Parsons and sign him. The point I was trying to make (didn't do a good job) it doesn't take several top defensive players to build a good defense. So you won't need two, three or four more elite players around him to have a solid defense. o win

My other point was to fans who think once he gets paid, he has to win a Super Bowl to prove he is worth his contract and just not true for defensive players.

I gotcha.

the second part unfortunately is true for all star players.
Once they get paid, they are expected to be like LBJ and single handily will their team to the Finals or it's a bad deal.

Now I do have some concerns about his durability as the season goes on. The stats sort of show a drop off in production in the last quarter of games of the season and postseason.
Variables need to be looked at, but one concern non the less if he can step up when the lights are the brightest.
 

conner01

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Id say you can't build a defense around any one person,,, in fact the only thing you can build it around is a solid DL or front 7. Fix that and everything gets better.
It’s a team sport so it’s all about the overal talent. Micah is a huge piece of the puzzle but it takes all the pieces to complete a puzzle
 

kskboys

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First answer that comes to mind, is do the Cowboys actually understand what it takes to build a defense (front office). I'm sure there's plenty of coaches, and player personnel that actually know how to do this, but Jerry and Stephen have their own vision of doing things

Second- With all that Micah has going on in being a young gifted athlete, is he mature enough to handle this and be the leader that we'd need him to be??

Third- Will MIcah be around long enough for us to build a team around him? It was mentioned he only wants to play until he's 30, is it worth investing so much in a guy that doesn't want to be around longer??? Please give your thoughts
Sure, but only w/ disruptive DT's.
 
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