Which linebackers do we keep?

[xwalker]

We probably view Bell a lot like Kearse. He can play that strong safety/linebacker role, maybe even the Cox/Neal role. Wouldn't surprise me at all in the nickel to have Parsons out there as middle linebacker flanked by Kearse and Bell (if Bell proves he deserves a role, that is). Quinn seems to really believe in the big safety-as-linebacker formula for countering passing attacks while keeping some degree of run-stopping out there.

Agree.

It could be either the Kearse hybrid role in Big Nickel or the Neal (2021) or Cox (2022) roles as coverage LBs.

They need a backup for Kearse in the hybrid role.

Also, if Hooker or Wilson have injury issues, then Kearse has to stay at SS which means somebody has to play the hybrid role.

2021
Parsons
LVE run downs or Neal pass downs
Kearse as the 3rd "LB" in Big Nickel.

2022
Parsons
LVE / Cox
Kearse at "LB"

An alternate is:
Parsons
LVE
Cox
Kearse at SS

i.e. Cox plays the Kearse "LB" role and LVE stays in on passing downs.

 

[nyc-cowboy]

Wrong.

Vander Esch was very good in the 2nd half of 2021 and one of the top performers in the playoff game.

Quinn had him play a different style which confuses most fans.

He played a Stack & Shed in 2021.

Marinelli LBs all played Run & Hit.

Stack & Shed is basically equivalent to a DL playing 2-gap.

A 250 pound LB playing Stack & Shed will always give up some ground against 320 OLinemen. The scheme has a built in assumption that the S & S LB will at times get pushed back a couple of yards. That's OK because he is freeing up another defender. The S & S LB must avoid getting boxed out right/left relative to the blocker.

For the 2021 Cowboys Vander Esch playing Stack & Shed allowed Parsons to freelance and make plays instead of having rigidly defined run gap responsibilities.

The concepts are based on probabilities. Quinn is OK with some runs going for 2 extra yards because he gains more than that back in the overall scheme.

Yeah Frisco kept lovin' all those extra 2 yards...

And the Cowboys must have really loved all that Stacking and not so much Shedding that they gave him a 1 year 2 million dollar contract.