Cowboys DC Christian Parker reveals very direct feedback to first-round rookie Malachi Lawrence, and it should be easy to apply
The Dallas Cowboys trust their first-round rookie to improve from Week 1 debut by… making mistakes quicker? That’s the plan.
Despite his first-round rookie status, Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker Malachi Lawrence can often go unnoticed. That’s mostly because of the lofty expectations Caleb Downs entered the league with. But also because of third-round rookie Jaishawn Barham being shoved into a prominent role at inside linebacker.
But Lawrence’s debut didn’t go great against the New York Giants in Week 1. He missed multiple tackles, recorded only one pressure, and was one of multiple guilty parties for losing contain throughout the game.
Talking to reporters on Thursday, Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker revealed his direct feedback to the rookie. And if you’re looking for a reason to be optimistic about improvement with Lawrence, it’s feedback that should be easily applicable.
Parker calls for Cowboys rookie to make mistakes “on the run”
“Me and (Lawrence) had this conversation yesterday,” Parker told reporters. “It’s like, man, just go. You know, young players have more success when they just go make their mistakes on the run. His mistakes belong to me. You know, they belong to me.”
I have to say I love this advice. On Sunday, Lawrence’s biggest issue was the speed of the game. A high school coach once told me (in my very limited playing days): “It’s okay if you get it wrong. But get it wrong quickly.“
Parker’s advice should be easily digested by Lawrence and I’d expect it to translate by Sunday. That’s not to say you shouldn’t expect more growing pains, but it’s an easy adjustment.
“We want him to just go and just play fast,” Lawrence added. “And so when he does that and he has a clear mind that he’s just going and punching the clock, it looks really good. When he’s thinking too much, and you can tell by his feet and being hesitant, that’s when you have issues. So I think for him, and that’s any young player, it’s just playing fast and going, being unapologetic about your play style and letting me make the mistakes.”
So in a weird way, Lawrence has the green light to err on the football field. And Parker expects better results as a result. Let’s see if it works out.
