As usual, there are topics that Dallas Cowboys fans love to argue about even though both parties want the same end result. From the Dak Prescott contract debate to who should be the backup quarterback, every fan has become a Cowboys general manager in this world.
When I woke up this morning, I was presented with the best run-stopping linebacker grades from the preseason. I was surprised to see Pro Football Focus have two Cowboy rookies at the top of the list. I get the sample is very small and it is only the preseason but are both sides correct in the linebacker debate?
When Micah Parsons was drafted in the first round by the Dallas Cowboys, some people were elated while others felt deflated, to say the least. There are some in the community, including me, that think it is not wise to spend such high capital on a linebacker.
There are exceptions to the rule as generational players make any position a moot point.
I am in the belief that certain positions have a higher risk for injury or shorter lifespans. Some of us remember that narrative that runningbacks die off after the age of 30. Linebackers are in the same category for me.
Parsons has shown most of the linebacker critics that he isn’t just an off-the-ball linebacker. So far, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has kept the offense guessing by lining Parsons all over the field. This is exactly how you gain value from the position.
It does help that Parsons is instinctive and one of the fastest players on the field. Some fans are waiting to hear critics eat crow but we weren’t wrong either.
What people have to understand is we were not criticizing Micah Parsons the player, we were criticizing the position. His off-the-field concerns are another matter.
Jabril Cox is the exact thing we were talking about. He is rated slightly lower than Parsons according to PFF yet the Cowboys used a fifth-round pick on him. Having him rated lower than Parsons with a bigger sample size makes our point for us also.
Late Round Linebacker Steals
You can find off-the-ball linebackers in later rounds. PFF came out with their list for the best linebackers for the 2021 season and there are only two first-round picks in the top ten and only three in the top 15.
When you look at the highest-paid off-the-ball linebackers, there is only one first-round linebacker in the top ten which is C.J. Mosley. There are some fans reading this who are struggling to figure out who that is. He was drafted in the first round by the Ravens and at the time, was made the highest-paid linebacker by the New York Jets.
New York has to overpay for free agents to sign with them as they have been bad for a while now. Not to leave you with such a small sample, the next first-round linebacker on the list is Shaq Thompson of the Carolina Panthers who is the eighth highest-paid linebacker.
I can wait while you Google his name so you can form your opinion.
Anthony Barr of Minnesota is 17th and Dont’a Hightower of New England is 20th. For comparison, Micah Parsons is the 32nd highest-paid inside linebacker. He is in the first year of his rookie contract.
Barr actually verbally agreed to a massive deal with the Jets only to change his mind the next day and return to Minnesota on a smaller deal. Where you play is sometimes more important than how much money you make.
Just for comparison, Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith, who was a second-round draft pick, has significantly more tackles and has a few more sacks than Barr every single year since Jaylon returned to the field in 2017. Barr signed a five-year deal worth $67.5 million while Jaylon signed a five-year 63.75 million extension.
The extension matters when spreading out guaranteed money.
I didn’t want to damper the NFL draft hype but I was concerned about the move at first. It appears that Parsons will make good on his selection but Jabril Cox is also showing that there are alternate ways of adding talent to your team.
When you look at the Cox selection, his path appears to be a more favorable trend in the NFL than Parsons. There are 18 first-round linebackers that are in the top 50 paid players at the position which equates to 36%. Looks good on the surface until you realize 14 of those 18 players are still on their rookie deal.
That means only four teams have given the first-round linebacker an extension. When you take a look at those four names, I wonder if any of those teams have buyers remorse.
The Jets have Mosley who signed a five-year $85 million deal. Mosley suffered a groin injury that kept him out 14 of 16 available games his first season in New York and opted out of his second season with the Jets because of Covid. Two games in two years is hardly an endorsement for signing linebackers and there are already complaints about his contract.
Parsons looks good now but how much value does he bring if the Cowboys were to extend him in the future? A first-round pick should give a franchise at least ten years of good to great service or it is questionable in my opinion why you drafted that player in the first place. Like most scenarios, there are exceptions.
Dangers of First-Round Linebackers
Leighton Vander Esch was drafted in 2018 and his fifth-year option was declined. He is a prime example of the dangers of drafting a linebacker in the first round. He is a good player when healthy but is he worth the price of what linebackers are getting these days?
Former Carolina Panthers and first-round linebacker Luke Kuechly was a great player but he only lasted eight NFL seasons. Seattle linebacker Bobby Wagner was a second-round pick in the same draft as Kuechly, is now entering his tenth season in the NFL.
When you look at the highest-paid linebackers and compare that to PFF’s list, Shaq Thompson is the eighth highest-paid linebacker yet is ranked 29th out of 32 players on their list. Carolina had the pleasure of having elite defensive line play and it is not a shock to me that Thompson’s play slid when players like defensive tackle Kawann Short left the team.
Let us not forget the Dallas Cowboys have been getting fair play from their defensive line which has kept these linebackers uncovered and free to run and make plays.
It appears, as usual, that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has the only first-round linebacker on an extension that still has value in Dont’a Hightower.
Like I said before, I am not bashing Micah Parsons the player, I’m using recent history to try and make an educated guess rather than keep my head in the sand on trends and history. I’m sure most of you have heard the quote ” those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it”.
Dallas Cowboys fans telling other Cowboys fans to eat crow for a draft pick that is playing well in the preseason is bizarre. Unlike the political divide that is currently consuming our country, It is entirely possible that both sides were right and that is ok.