Since the beginning of training camp, the Dallas Cowboys have made changes to their roster. Of course, this applies to almost every NFL team as players are injured, perform poorly, or simply don’t mesh well with the group. But unlike most teams hoping to win the Super Bowl, the Cowboys appear to be pushing hard to bolster their roster through trades or free agency signings.
This is probably because the Cowboys front staff and owner Jerry Jones did not pursue free agency this year with the same zeal. Of course, some of Dallas’s low summer spending may have had to do with the impending contract extensions for Micah Parsons, Dak Prescott, and/or CeeDee Lamb.
Having said that, the Cowboys did add former Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets pass rusher Carl Lawson as a free agent last week. Carl Lawson, the new pass rusher for the Dallas Cowboys, is excited to join the team. Due to a nagging back issue, Lawson only participated in six games during the previous season. Despite having two injury-plagued seasons in a row, the 28-year-old pass rusher feels energized about joining a Super Bowl-caliber club.The Athletic’s Jon Machota, who covers the Cowboys, claims that Carlson stated:
Honestly, I think I’m a younger player. I genuinely believe that because of injuries, unfavorable circumstances, teams I’ve been on that haven’t connected, or quarterbacks who have been playing—whether they’re hurt or just running down offenses—my potential hasn’t been realized. I have been a very successful pass rusher in this league, but on losing teams. Therefore, I would welcome the chance to play for a club that can win games and where I can truly showcase my skills. And I’m happy that I’ve just returned and am healthy. All I can say is that I’m humbled and eager to get to work. Even though I’ve been playing the game for a while, I still feel like a rookie since I can never seem to bring everything together.
“I just want to keep working so that I can use my talent to help an organization win and bring the Super Bowl back to Dallas. I know how talented I am.”The Jets, Lawson’s former squad, finished 7-10 in both of his seasons there. The Bengals, his other previous club, did make it to the Super Bowl in 2021, but he was sidelined by injuries for the whole campaign.
Carl Lawson, a pass rusher for the Dallas Cowboys, is effective when healthy. Cincinnati selected Lawson in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. In only 42% of the defensive snaps as a rookie, he had 8.5 sacks while playing in all 16 games.
However, Lawson’s season was cut short in his second year when he tore his ACL in Week 8.
He came back the next season to participate in 12 games, recording 23 tackles and 5.5 sacks. Then, in 2020, he recorded 36 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and played in all 16 games, starting 11 of them.
Regretfully, Lawson suffered an Achilles tear during a joint practice with the Green Bay Packers in the 2021 preseason, which prevented him from participating in the Bengals’ Super Bowl run that year. He joined the Jets in 2022 and started right away on their formidable defense. He had 33 tackles and 7.0 sacks in 17 games that he participated in and started.
As previously noted, Lawson missed the most of the previous season due to a back issue.
He will be a formidable force on defense in Dallas if he can maintain his health.
