New Cowboys DC nips Micah Parsons narrative in the bud and it's clear the superstar defender is excited about it
We know who Matt Eberflus wants to be as the new Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator: He wants his defense to take the ball away and play football with strong fundamentals and discipline. And now, we also know exactly what his plans are for superstar defender Micah Parsons. This might sound obvious but even last year when […]
We know who Matt Eberflus wants to be as the new Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator: He wants his defense to take the ball away and play football with strong fundamentals and discipline.
And now, we also know exactly what his plans are for superstar defender Micah Parsons. This might sound obvious but even last year when Mike Zimmer walked in the door, he was asked about his vision for Parsons. Pass rusher or off-ball linebacker? Maybe a mix?
Eberflus nipped the conversation in the bud when asked about it by reporters on Tuesday.
"Micah is a premier pass rusher, we're going to use him that way, certainly," Eberflus told reporters. "He's a heck of an athlete and can do a lot of different things for us on defense. When you have a guy like that, you want to be able to utilize his skill set. As we're around him more, we'll be able to see what that skill set is and really take advantage of that."
Though Eberflus will likely lean on Parsons' versatility in specific situations, expect that to be a rarity instead of the overall approach of the team. The Cowboys defensive coordinator understands it's what No. 11 is best at.
"He knows that we'll adjust and put him in the best light that he can be in, in terms of position, in terms of pass rush, and really utilizing what he does best—and that's rushing the passer."
Eberflus' words caused a reaction from Parsons, who simply responded "LFG" on Twitter/X.
Parsons as pass rusher is undoubtedly the right call
For the entirety of Parsons' career, fans and media members have debated the usage of the Cowboys defender. Should he be utilized off-ball more often? It's an understandable question considering the team's struggles versus the run in recent years.
But it's also undeniable the impact Parsons has a pass rusher. Moving him to off-ball LB might boost the run defense slightly at the cost of losing what the Cowboys have been best at: Pressuring quarterbacks.
We could go through a long list of stats showing what Parsons represents as a pass rusher but at this point, but you've probably heard them by now.
What Eberflus will want to explore for sure is using Parsons as a blitzing LB, something Quinn and Zimmer really benefitted from. Most of the time when he didn't line up at defensive end, Parsons started a few yards away from the line of scrimmage before immediately blitzing over the middle of the offensive line, targeting the center or the guards.
To make that work, Eberflus will need to blitz more often than he has in the past, but if he's adjusting to his personnel, that's a given. For now, credit the new Cowboys DC for making it clear from the start how he views Parsons: He's a pass rusher and has been so since the middle of his rookie year.
Dallas Cowboys could resort to alternative solution to their most urgent problem of the offseason
Could be the right choice.
