Cowboys' new defensive lineman just dropped a quote that will instantly make him a coach favorite
The Dallas Cowboys recently boosted the depth of the defensive end room by signing former fourth-round draft pick Carl Lawson, someone fans had been pounding the table for a good chunk of the offseason and even more so following Sam Williams' season-ending injury.Lawson, a productive edge rusher with durability concerns, is not only starting on […]
The Dallas Cowboys recently boosted the depth of the defensive end room by signing former fourth-round draft pick Carl Lawson, someone fans had been pounding the table for a good chunk of the offseason and even more so following Sam Williams' season-ending injury.
Lawson, a productive edge rusher with durability concerns, is not only starting on the right note with Cowboys fans but also with the coaching staff.
If you've ever been around football coaches, you know rule No. 1 is always stopping the run. On Monday, Lawson echoed that sentiment by claiming: "Rush and coverage work together but, first and foremost, stop the run so you can have some fun."
Do you think Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and his staff don't absolutely love to hear that? From someone who has been a pass rushing standout, that will be music to their ears. That gets you on the coach's favorite list.
As a defensive end, Lawson is exactly right, you've got to get the job done on early downs to earn a chance at pinning your ears back to get after the quarterback. Now granted, in this day and age, teams are slinging it even on first and second down. But as the Cowboys learned against the Buffalo Bills in 2023, if they can gash you on the ground, there's no reason to put the ball up in the air, so the mindset still applies to today's game.
Cowboys fans hoping for a better defense should know one of the biggest areas the team might improve on is their ability to stop the run, simply because of the way Zimmer runs his scheme. While he's an aggressive play-caller just like Dan Quinn, his aggression is more controlled and he will rarely sacrifice overall "soundness" against the run.
Even though he signed late in the year, Lawson will likely play a large role in Dallas. Behind Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, it'll be he and second-round rookie Marshawn Kneeland taking the majority of the workload.
Earlier in camp, Zimmer revealed he expected Sam Williams to play around 70-75% of the snaps, which means there will be plenty of opportunities to go around for these two. With Micah Parsons spending some time as an off-ball linebacker, the Cowboys' defensive end rotation will be much more active in 2024 and will be a big factor in how it performs throughout the season.
