Tag: Carl Lawson

Cowboys Free Agency Targets: 8 defenders who played for Zimmer, staff

When coaches find new digs, they often bring in former players to help lead in the new system. Here are some fun ideas for the Cowboys to consider as the league year approaches. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys have a brand new defensive staff, and with that they will have the opportunity to try and shore up the one issue the unit had in 2023; variance. The Dallas Cowboys had a ton of great performances under Dan Quinn over the last three seasons. Twice the led the NFL in turnovers and two different defensive backs had all-time great NFL seasons under Quinn. Trevon Diggs had the most interceptions in a single season in over 40 years in 2011 and DaRon Bland set the all-time Pick-6 record in 2023. But there were enough performances where the defense didn’t show up, most notably the wild-card loss to the upstart Green Bay Packers, that showed the unit was not all it was cracked up to be.

Now, Mike Zimmer is in charge and while the front office may not rain down on him with draft picks to improve his unit in Year 1, there’s probably a sizable free agent haul awaiting him and his new staff. Often times, coaches like to bring in players who are familiar with their systems and who they know they can trust as bridges to the other veterans they are inheriting.

Zimmer worked for Cincinnati as their DC from 2008 through 2013 and was the head coach of Minnesota from 2014 through 2021. Between his former players and those who suited up for new DL coach Jeff Zgonina (Washington 2020-2023, San Francisco 2017-2018) or run-defense coordinator Paul Guenther (Cincinnati DC 2014-2017, Oakland LB coach 2018-2020) there are a handful of current free agents who might be interested in reunions.

Here are the six names, and where they rank on PFF’s list of top 200 free agents heading into 2024. In addition, there are two players who are currently under contract but could be released before the new league year kicks in who would be under consideration.

Former Bengals DE Carl Lawson heads to free agency again

Carl Lawson is back on the market.

Former Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Carl Lawson is headed for free agency.

Lawson, a fourth-round pick by the Bengals in 2017, was one of four contracts voided by the New York Jets this past week.

After leaving the Bengals and signing a $45 million contract with the Jets in 2021, Lawson missed that season due to injury, played 17 games in 2022 and just six this past season due to a back injury suffered in training camp.

Notably, the Bengals went and signed Trey Hendrickson during that 2021 offseason, clearly in hindsight coming out way ahead.

Interesting now, though, is whether the Bengals might have an interest in Lawson as pass-rushing depth behind Hendrickson if the veteran can prove he’s healthy going into his age-29 season.

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Jets Week 18 inactives: Allen Lazard healthy scratch for second time this season

For the second time this season, wide receiver Allen Lazard is a healthy scratch.

The Jets have announced their final set of inactives for the 2023 season ahead of their season finale against the New England Patriots.

Among the inactives is wide receiver Allen Lazard, a healthy scratch for the second time this season. Not what the Jets were hoping for after signing him to a four-year, $44 million contract with $22 million guaranteed during free agency.

Also inactive is Carl Lawson, wrapping up what became a lost season for the veteran. After taking a pay cut before the season, Lawson ends up being inactive for 11 of the 17 games this season. He’s set to become a free agent in March.

The full list of inactives for Week 18 for the Jets:

WR Allen Lazard
QB Aaron Rodgers
OL Austin Deculus
DL Carl Lawson
CB Bryce Hall
LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball
K Austin Seibert

Jets Week 11 inactives: Michael Carter II out vs. Bills

Jets Week 11 inactives: Michael Carter II out vs. Bills

The Jets released one Michael Carter a few days ago and now will be without the other for Week 11 against the Buffalo Bills.

Nickel cornerback Michael Carter II is among the inactives Sunday. Carter was a late addition to the injury report with a hamstring injury and was questionable for Sunday. He is now officially out. Look for Brandin Echols to step in at the slot corner position in place of Carter.

The rest of the Jets’ inactives:

WR Randall Cobb
LB Sam Eguavoen
OL Billy Turner
LB Chazz Surratt
DL Carl Lawson
OL Austin Deculus

The Jets are indeed starting to go a bit younger Sunday. Israel Abanikanda and Jason Brownlee are both active Sunday and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Jets start using Jeremy Ruckert more as well.

But on a day where the Jets really could use all hands on deck as they look for the season sweep of Buffalo, not having Carter in the defensive backfield will certainly sting.

Robert Saleh isn’t worried about Dalvin Cook and Carl Lawson becoming distractions

Robert Saleh isn’t worried about Dalvin Cook and Carl Lawson becoming distractions

Jets running back Dalvin Cook and defensive end Carl Lawson both are clearly unhappy with their reduced roles this season. Head coach Robert Saleh still believes in both players and that they will be key contributors by the end of the season.

Both Cook and Lawson were subjects of trade speculation before Tuesday’s trade deadline, but the Jets decided to stand pat. Their biggest move Tuesday was adding veteran offensive lineman Rodger Saffold to their practice squad.

Saleh told reporters Wednesday that he is not “overly worried” about Cook or Lawson becoming distractions this season, despite both expressing their displeasure in some form. Saleh said both Cook and Lawson expect more of themselves and expect more opportunities. He also believes they will have roles moving forward, echoing what general manager Joe Douglas said Tuesday.

“They’re going to be needed by year’s end,” Saleh said.

Saleh recently said these early weeks are still like a preseason for Cook because he joined the team late (signing in early August). Through seven games, Cook has rushed 41 times for 114 yards, good for just a 2.8 yards per carry average. This after signing for $7 million. Breece Hall has taken control of the backfield, while Cook and Michael Carter take whatever scraps of snaps are left behind. Cook played just eight snaps against the Giants.

Lawson took a paycut this offseason to stay with the team and has now been inactive three times this season, including last week against the Giants. A back injury limited him in training camp and the Jets held him out of the season opener. Even when he plays, his role has diminished. Jermaine Johnson has blown past him on the depth chart and has been arguably the best defensive end for the Jets. Even Bryce Huff, in limited action, continues to be much more effective than Lawson.

Despite all that, the Jets still think there is a role for these two and that everything will be okay by the end of the season.

5 NFL players who should’ve been traded at the deadline, including Davante Adams

These five NFL players should’ve been traded at the deadline.

The 2023 NFL trade deadline has come and gone, and various NFL teams are now looking over the big moves that they’ve made to either bolster their rosters or add draft picks for the future.

As we look over the final results of this year’s trade deadline, it’s worth thinking about the NFL teams players who didn’t get moved before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET final horn.

All of these players could have found new homes by the deadline, and these teams might regret not making a move if these players wind up elsewhere in the offseason.

Let’s break down who these guys are and why they should’ve been traded.

Bengals trade deadline idea: What about a Carl Lawson return?

Should the Bengals go after Carl Lawson at the NFL trade deadline?

The Cincinnati Bengals could use some pass-rushing help, an idea that seems like a good thing to bring up this close to the NFL’s trade deadline.

Especially when someone like Carl Lawson might be available.

Lawson, a fourth-round pick by the Bengals who spent four years with the team, has spent the last three seasons with the New York Jets after leaving in free agency.

While Lawson had seven sacks in 2022, he’s played in just four games this season, being a healthy scratch in two and seeing just 24 percent of the defensive snaps.

Now he’s spoken out about wanting to play more and ESPN’s Rich Cimini had this to say on the matter:

“With running back Dalvin Cook and defensive end Carl Lawson publicly airing their frustration with reduced roles, and both open to trades, the spotlight is on Douglas and whether he will deal the former starters before the NFL’s trading deadline on Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET. Douglas is willing to move them, multiple sources close to the situation said, but he’s not going to give them away, especially with the Jets (3-3) still in contention.”

Of course, Lawson wouldn’t see much more playing time than he’s already getting with the Jets if the two sides were to work out a deal.

But he’d certainly see usage — Trey Hendrickson has again been the only reliable bit of pass-rush for the Bengals this season and he’s again already dealt with back issues that nagged him last year.

That’s reason enough to find some help and Lawson, if nothing else, has been in the building before and has proven himself as efficient in bursts. It’s hard to know what the Jets would want in return, but we do know that he’s on the final year of his current contract. He’s due roughly $3 million over the rest of the season, but a trade could always readjust that.

While the Bengals aren’t expected to make a move at the deadline, adding Lawson to Hendrickson, Joseph Ossai, Myles Murphy, Sam Hubbard and others might provide the season-long depth that keeps everyone healthy before a defensive-minded playoff run again.

If the cost isn’t too expensive, meaning in the late-rounder range, the Bengals might want to consider it.

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Carl Lawson speaks on trade rumors ahead of NFL trade deadline

Jets’ Carl Lawson shared his thoughts on trade rumors and he believes he can still contribute for a team.

Carl Lawson has been floated around in trade rumors ahead of the NFL trade deadline at the end of October, and some would say it’s inevitable he gets traded by the New York Jets. Amid the rumors, Lawson spoke about wanting to play more and his belief that he can still contribute to a team.

“I definitely want to play because I know I can contribute, I’ve proven that,” Lawson explained via SNY. “I always want to contribute. Right now I’m with the Jets. I definitely want to play more, do what I did last season and then some. Coming off a double Achilles, put up good numbers and I feel like I can do more.”

The veteran defensive end would sign with the Jets prior to the 2021 campaign, but he would miss his first year due to an Achilles injury. Lawson would start in all 17 games last season, registering 33 combined tackles, nine tackles for loss, seven sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

A back injury he sustained during training camp prevented Lawson from being active in Week 1 this season. He’s since played on only 24 percent of the defensive snaps for the Jets this season and he’s been a healthy scratch in two games.

While Lawson is still only 28 years old, he’s dealt with multiple injuries since his time at Auburn before entering the NFL in 2017. Taking an edge rusher in back-to-back drafts, along with the emergence of Bryce Huff, has also made Lawson an expendable player on the Jets.

Teams around the league are always seeking aid in the pass-rushing department, so there could undoubtedly be a market for Lawson. At the same time, Lawson is confident he can produce elsewhere if the Jets elect to move on from him in the coming weeks.

Auburn in the NFL: Week 7 Recap

Anders Carlson missed his first career kick, Derick Hall’s Seahawks best Owen Pappoe’s Cardinals, the Jets place Carl Lawson on the trade block, and Jamel Dean recorded a career-high 10 tackles for the Bucs.

The NFL season is officially heating up as we are now seven weeks through the schedule. As we do every week, Auburn Wire will take a look at some of the most notable performances from Auburn Alumni across the League.

It was another slow week for former Tigers, but there were some interesting storylines that stood out this week, including [autotag]Anders Carlson[/autotag]’s first rough game, [autotag]Derick Hall[/autotag] getting the best of [autotag]Owen Pappoe[/autotag] in Seattle, the Jets placing [autotag]Carl Lawson[/autotag] on the trade block, and [autotag]Jamel Dean[/autotag]’s career day.

Here is a look at several headlines from Week 7 that feature Auburn’s top NFL players.

10 players the Jaguars could pursue before the trade deadline

With a week until the NFL trade deadline, these 10 players could draw the Jaguars’ interest.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are leading the way in the AFC South and just a game behind the Kansas City Chiefs for the best record in the AFC. If ever there was a time for the Jaguars to push their chips to the middle of the table, it’s now.

That doesn’t necessarily mean the Jaguars need to trade away their next three first-round picks to get a superstar. Making some kind of move to get a boost down the stretch makes too much sense, though.

Jacksonville could use some help at left guard after rotating between Ben Bartch and Tyler Shatley early in the season. But no area is in more need of improvement than the team’s lackluster pass rush.

While Josh Allen has provided the Jaguars with seven sacks through the first seven weeks, the rest of the defense has just six combined sacks. Only four teams (none with winning records) have fewer sacks.

With the Oct. 31 trade deadline just a week away, here are 10 players who would be worth pursuing for the Jaguars: