Report: Cowboys Micah Parsons not participating in voluntary workouts for a big reason

It looks like the debate as to whether Micah Parsons is a linebacker or a defensive end has come to a close. When the Dallas Cowboys drafted Parsons, it was primarily to be a linebacker, the position he held down at Penn State. That was actually one of the reasons people were a little iffy on drafting him so early, off-ball linebackers are not considered worthy of premium picks in many draft circles.

Early on in his career, an injury thrust Parsons into a defensive end role for a game, and ever since there has been debate around just how much he should be a linebacker, and how much he should be a defensive end.

Today, we found out defensive end has won out as a full-time position.

If you see stories about Parsons skipping the voluntary workouts, you now have the reason why. Parsons had noted that last year his body was getting beat up playing so much defensive end, and toward the end of the year he was playing through nagging injuries. Apparently the Cowboys and Parsons learned their lesson, and want Parsons to get bigger and stronger to handle the wear-and-tear that comes from playing defensive line.