5 things Cowboys must do to make the Super Bowl

2. Cowboys must keep offenses guessing about Micah Parsons

One of the true strengths of the Cowboys defense has been defensive coordinator Dan Quinn's ability to move linebacker Micah Parsons around the entire formation. When you have one of the most disruptive players in the NFL across from you who keeps changing alignments, it makes things tougher on the offensive line. The news that Parsons is looking to add weight in order to help in him deal with the physicality involved when he rushes the passer.

Parsons snap counts:

2021: 374 on the defensive end, 498 at linebacker

2022: 738 on the defensive end, 171 at linebacker

While a smart move, the Cowboys have to hope Parsons will be able to keep that sideline-to-sideline speed that has made him one of the best defenders in the league. They can't simply line him up as a pass rusher and expect the defense to have continued success. If the team starts to see a decrease in his overall play speed then they may need to step in so they don't lose the playmaker they've had in Parsons thus far in his career. That's versatility you can't squander by having him settle into one position.