Cowboys news: Micah Parsons - ‘I’m ready to show what I can do’

New Cowboys WR Brandin Cooks, CB Stephon Gilmore making early impact on QB Dak Prescott, CB Trevon Diggs - CBS Sports, Garrett Podell

The Cowboys big adds this offseason are trying to help already.

Organized team activities (OTAs) don’t begin for the Dallas Cowboys until May 22, but their big-name, veteran trade acquisitions — wide receiver Brandin Cooks and cornerback Stephon Gilmore, the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year — are already making their presence felt with their new teammates.

The 2022 offseason Cowboys’ receiver moves were more about subtraction, trading away four-time Pro Bowl wideout Amari Cooper. In 2023, the team put more resources into their receivers room this time around, adding the established and “dynamic” Cooks to act as Pro Bowl number one wideout CeeDee Lamb’s number two following a trade with the Houston Texans. It’s an effort focused on opening up their passing offense for quarterback Dak Prescott, who co-led the NFL with 15 interceptions last seasons despite missing five games with a right thumb injury.

“When you’re just throwing to him [Brandin Cooks], it stands out,” Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said. “His speed is different than many others. The way he approaches the game, his knowledge, he’s already helping CeeDee, helping the young guys, playing cornerback, teaching them little nuances of the route running. He’s going to be huge for me and huge for the room.”

Cowboys’ Micah Parsons ‘trying to bulk up’ for full-time pass-rushing role: ‘Ready to show what I can do’ - NFL.com, Kevin Patra

Micah wants his hands in the dirt more often, and fans may agree.

Micah Parsons is spending his offseason bulking up.

The Cowboys linebacker hasn’t attended the team’s voluntary workouts as he focuses on gaining extra weight this offseason.

“I’m trying to bulk up and just focus on me and my development, carrying that load,” he said at a charity event Wednesday, via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Parsons is listed at 245 pounds but said he’s up to 251. The goal is to handle better the battering that comes with going up against bigger offensive linemen play-in and play-out as he gets more snaps as a pass rusher.

Why the Cowboys want Micah Parsons to play DE full time - CowboysWire, Reid Hanson

Little context behind the possible Parsons move.

Few will argue, Parsons is the lifeblood of the Cowboys defense. While Trevon Diggs, DeMarcus Lawrence and Donovan Wilson are all excellent and important players, Parsons is in a category all his own.

Parsons, a perennial NFL defensive MVP candidate, is one of the best young pass rushers in the league. From Day 1 he established himself as one of the most gifted players the league has seen.

Drafted as an off-ball linebacker, Parsons hasn’t always played the pass-rusher in Dallas. His first two seasons in the NFL he bounced around between linebacker and EDGE. While he’s done well playing off-ball, he’s been far more impactful as a pass-rusher.

The Cowboys recognized this quite quickly, only deploying him off-ball for 195 snaps in 2022 (compared to 859 snaps on the defensive line). In 2023, he seems to be taking another step in that direction, reportedly bulking up so he can play EDGE full time.

Eagles’ A.J. Brown Says ‘Stop Comparing’ Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb to Me in Deleted Tweet - Bleacher Report, Timothy Rapp

A little bit of a rivalry.

A.J. Brown is the Philadelphia Eagles’ top receiver and CeeDee Lamb plays that role on the Dallas Cowboys, and given the heated rivalry between the two teams, it’s inevitable that the two players are compared against one another.

But Brown doesn’t care for the comparison, mostly because he feels they fulfill different roles as wideouts for their respective teams, as he wrote in a since-deleted tweet:

Cowboys ‘Matchup Nightmare!’ Deuce Vaughn Scouting Report - from LaDainian Tomlinson - CowboysCountry, Adam Schultz

Much praise is being given to Deuce Vaughn.

Dallas Cowboys running back Deuce Vaughn has garnered plaudits from every corner since being taken in the sixth round of the NFL Draft.

But the latest piece of praise has come from a Hall of Fame running back that many regard as one of the best ever - LaDainian Tomlinson.

Despite Vaughn’s diminutive stature (5-5) the Kansas State running back put up good numbers in back-to-back seasons as a runner and receiver, giving him ability to be a serious threat in the passing game.

“I think Deuce can be a matchup nightmare out of the backfield,” Tomlinson said on NFL Total Access. “A lot of people are comparing him to Darren Sproles, who was one of the best ever out of the backfield running routes, creating mismatches. I see Deuce Vaughn in the same light. You can put Deuce Vaughn in the slot … There’s no way you’re going to stop him one-on-one running option routes. You can also bring him out of the backfield, put him on the perimeter …

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