Micah Parsons is special – at this point, that sounds like an understatement.
Parsons' true position has been up for debate on occasion, but his impact is undeniable. That's the case according to fans, anyway.
But according to Micah Parsons, there's still more to be done to ultimately solidify his legacy. This season, he's focused on maximizing his impact on the field.
On Thursday, Parsons told media members, “I'm kind of off the sack wave. I'm on to the impact wave.”
Based on his explanation, it sounds like he's less focused on commonly recorded stats and more focused on the results he can help the defense achieve when he's on the field.
“You have guys who have 16, 17 sacks, but they're not considered a guy,” he said, “I want to be considered a guy, not one of the guys.”
It's not news but Micah still that dude.
He beat almost every guy he lined up against today. Just… that dude man.
— iisha Morrison (@Iishamorrison) June 2, 2023
One of the ways Micah might make an impact this season is by being used as somewhat of a “chess” piece. The expectation is that moving him around will create opportunities for other players.
The 2x Pro Bowler said to reporters, “I don't wanna give a lot away right now, but it's gonna be a real cool year. I'm probably gonna play like eight positions.”
Later in the conversation, Parsons gave a bit more detail.
“Everything in that front seven plus some coverage, I'm playing,” he explained, “It's gonna be a year to remember, for sure.”
MIKE MCCARTHY ON MICAH'S IMPACT
Even though some interpreted Micah's comments as more of a joke than a preview, I believe there's actually merit to Parsons' statements.
What Micah said about impact was very much in alignment with what Mike McCarthy said about how Micah could be used this season.
During his weekly press conference, McCarthy touched on the impact of Micah Parsons and the conversation about how his presence can help other members of the defense.
“I think, individually, he will always be extremely impactful,” McCarthy said, “and that's why it's important for us to really stay focused on creating as many of those opportunities for him.
And I think that's the whole conversation of where he's gonna line up.”
From that part of the statement alone, we know that Micah's impact has led to conversations about where he'll line up.
But if it were going to be similar to last year, would there really be a need to converse about this issue?
If that wasn't enough to suggest we might see something different this season, McCarthy went on to add some perspective on the benefits of moving Parsons around.
“I'm just telling you from an offensive perspective, when you line a premier player up in the same spot, it's easy to apply help there,” McCarthy explained, “…I think the next measure of Micah being an elite player is how much he affects the game and the opportunities he creates for others.”
And that tells us that the Dallas Cowboys head coach believes it's smart to put Micah in different spots and that he wants to use Micah to create opportunities for other players.
A GOAL LINE PACKAGE FOR MICAH PARSONS??
Micah Parsons may not play eight different positions in each game.
Based on these statements, though, it's not unreasonable to think he'll be in several different spots during any game and perhaps eight over the course of the season.
Micah Parsons snap counts:
Year 1: 374 on the defensive line, 498 at linebacker
Year 2: 738 on the defensive line, 171 at linebacker
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) January 12, 2023
Related to the topic of using Micah in different ways, a question was asked about him playing an offensive position.
The Cowboys linebacker replied, “I think I got a goal line package.”
The intense laughter suggested that this statement actually was a joke.
But this isn't the first time Micah Parsons has asked for offensive reps.
During Week 8, of the 2022 season, against the Bears, Parsons returned a fumble 36 yards for a touchdown. After that game, addressing reporters, he brought up the idea of a goal-line package.
“[Ezekiel Elliott] said I look just like him. I think I definitely deserve a rep now. They can't say they haven't seen it in a game. So hopefully I get thrown in a goal-line package or red-zone package.”
There's no indication it will happen. However, if any current Cowboys player could get away with playing on both sides of the ball, it would be Micah Parsons.
