Carl Lawson, a veteran pass rusher, tweeted a cryptic message on social media indicating that he is interested in signing with the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys need a pass rusher after third-year defensive end Sam Williams suffered a ruptured ACL during training camp. Shortly after the announcement, Lawson tweeted a single star emoji.
Lawson, a former fourth-round draft pick, formerly played for the Cincinnati Bengals and the New York Jets. He has 27 career sacks in 31 starts and 28 tackles for loss.
Lawson’s greatest season came as a rookie with the Bengals, when he recorded 8.5 sacks. More recently, he got 7 sacks for the Jets in 2022 but only appeared in six games last season. He was frustrated by his lack of snaps.
“I’ve always aimed to be the best version of myself for the team. But, at the end of the day, I want to be a football player, to produce, and to contribute, because I’m a football player, not a cheerleader, so that’s where my mind is at,” Lawson stated last season.
If the Cowboys need a veteran, cheap fill-in, Lawson is the guy to call. He is excited to contribute and will be able to do so with Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence.
Cowboys Had Big Plans For Sam Williams.
Williams was the Cowboys’ second-round pick in 2022. He soon won his place in the rotation and has been a valuable player.
Over the last two seasons, Williams has 8.5 sacks and has played roughly one-third of the defensive snaps. That was expected to rise this year, following the departures of Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler.
“We had big plans for him,” Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer stated on Monday, July 29. “He was going to play an awful lot, probably, I’m guessing, 70-75 percent of the time.” “We’ll only have to rearrange some chess pieces and experiment with other strategies. Williams was going to be out there with Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence after we moved (Micah) Parsons about a little bit.”
Cowboys Rookie Marshawn Kneeland Will Play ‘A Lot’
If the Cowboys do not add a veteran, rookie Marshawn Kneeland will be asked to shoulder more responsibility. Kneeland was taken in the second round (56th overall) this year. He recorded 148 tackles and 13 sacks while at Western Michigan.
The Cowboys saw a lot of Lawrence at Kneeland when they decided to choose him.
“We’ve discussed it before; as hard as DLaw [DeMarcus Lawrence] played at Boise State, there are some similarities. That’s what we thought about him,” Cowboys VP of Player Personnel Will McClay said after drafting Kneeland in April.
So far, the rookie has made a positive impact at camp. With Williams out of the picture, Zimmer told him that he would still have a role.
“Marshawn Kneeland has done a really nice job,” Zimmer added. “He would’ve played anyway but I think he’s gonna end up having to play a lot now.”
The Cowboys kick off the season on September 8 against the Cleveland Browns.
