Carl Lawson wasn’t a free agent the Cowboys went out of their way to acquire lst offseason. Only after injuries took Sam Williams away did the Cowboys actively pursue the six-year veteran (missed all of 2021) and even then, it was a non-committal effort, cutting him once and only signing him to the practice squad later.
Further injuries sustained to the Dallas defensive end group eventually pushed Lawson onto the active roster, and the 29-year-old edge has rewarded the Cowboys with four sacks (third on the team) and 13 quarterback hits (also third) in a rotational role that’s encompassed 10 games. His output hasn’t lit the world on fire, but considering the time and circumstances surrounding the player, he’s done quite well by the team.
Lawson has carved out a good role for himself in 2024. Playing primarily on passing downs he’s effectively taken over the role played by Dante Fowler a season ago.
Even with the return of fellow DE Marshawn Kneeland, Lawson is seeing a consistent workload in a consistent role. It’s made him a strong value player on the Cowboys defense and a pleasant surprise in a season full of disappointments.
To keep things in proper perspective, 2024 is Lawson’s second-lowest graded season of his career. He’s not enjoying a breakout or even a resurgence in Dallas. But at a contract price of $1,125,000 he’s paid off extremely well for a guy the Cowboys signed late and out of utter necessity.
With DeMarcus Lawrence set to return as soon as Week 14, it will be interesting to see where Lawson fits into the rotation. Lawrence is considered the superior player in both phases of the game, and taking the field on obvious passing downs, will likely reclaim at least a portion of Lawson’s pass rushing snaps.
The Cowboys’ best pass rushing duo from the edge is universally seen as Micah Parsons and Lawrence. Osa Odighizuwa has established himself as the top interior pass rusher and DeMarvion Overshown (second on Cowboys in sacks) is the best blitzing option.
Lawson’s next big step will be to play with as much impact as he did before with less snaps and a greater proportion of them on running downs. He still figures into the rotation, but opportunities may not be as teed up as they have been.
If Lawson can still be an impactful rotational player once Lawrence returns, he might figure into Dallas’ plans at DE next season. While Lawrence will probably leave in free agency, Williams is set to return from his knee injury. As a high-end pass rushing prospect, Williams should get most of the pass rushing snaps in 2025, provided a speedy recovery from his ACL. As such, Lawson would be required to play a supportive role much like what’s about to be asked of him this season when Lawrence returns.
Lawson has proven to be well worth the price of admission in 2024 but now he’s auditioning for 2025.
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