Defining the roles of defensive players who line up primarily near the line of scrimmage can be a bit complicated.
For example, Cowboys star Micah Parsons recently announced he’s moving from linebacker to defensive end, which seems silly because he’s mostly played on the defensive line the past two years. A better term for Parsons would be edge rusher, but he needed to clarify before he’s eligible to negotiate a massive contract extension next offseason (players labeled defensive end tend to make more than linebackers).
“He is a pass-rushing linebacker,” Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn recently said about Parsons.
