Dallas Cowboys: Demarcus Lawrence must be dominant

"Last year Demarcus Lawrence had a breakout season with 14.5 sacks, but the Dallas Cowboys need him to be dominant again. Can he match his 2017 performance?Since future Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware was in his prime, the Dallas Cowboys have been looking for that hellacious “War Daddy”. The elusive “War Daddy” is a lethal pass rusher that will wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks at an alarming rate. It’s a term  coined by no other than vanity owner and general manager Jerry Jones!Ole Jerruh knows a sack artist when he sees one, having watched Hall of Famer Charles Haley and Ware destroy opposing quarterbacks with great efficiency.Once Ware left to play for the Denver Broncos, the Cowboys sacks disappeared faster than a bald headed man’s hairline (FYI: I’m bald)To solve that deficiency, the Cowboys moved up and drafted Demarcus Lawrence in the 2014 draft. And after several setbacksthat included a suspension, injury and lackluster performance, Tank had his coming out party last season and tallied 14.5 sacks, 35 tackles, and four forced fumbles.With that outstanding performance, the Cowboys are depending on Tank to be dominant again. When I say dominant, I mean Lawrence has to be so good that opposing offenses will have to put two or three bodies on him.As a result, his dominance will free up others. Simply put, the Cowboys need him because he’s the best pass rusher this team has.Fellow defensive ends Randy Gregory and David Irving stay suspended like juvenile delinquents in middle school. Taco Charlton is still young and learning the ropes as a pass rusher.Tyrone Crawford is a complementary player, and Crawford’s production hasn’t matched the mulit-million dollar contract he plays under. Maliek Collins plays the one-technique and had success as rookie when he recorded five sacks.But Collins is not Hall of Famer Warren Sapp, not yet. Charles Tapper, Kony Ealy, Dorance Armstrong, Jr., Jihad Ward, Datone Jones, Richard Ash, Austin Larkin, and Superman himself are a decent supporting cast.However, that group is a combination of injury-prone players, rookies, underachievers, and a comic book character. So now you understand more than ever why Tank has to be so dominant.In fact, Tank needs to be very productive to begin the season so that  removes all doubts in regard to his ability to be a consistent pass rusher. If that happens Jerry Jones will replace the franchise tag and pay Tank handsomely and reasonably. If he plays beyond the call of duty, another lesser known player can step up and destroy opposing quarterbacks, too.Dallas needs Lawrence to sack the quarterback, deliver lethal hits, and create constant pressure. As a result, this havoc forces turnovers, whether it be fumbles or interceptions. Whenever a quarterback holds onto the ball to long, the Dallas’ defense should expect a  positive result (unless its Aaron Rodgers).I expect Tank to ball out this year and be dominant is because he’s playing under the one year franchise tag for a cool $17 million dollars. The man wants a massive payday, and as long he performs at a very high level, he will receive a huge payday.Money is always a motivating factor, especially in the NFL.More from Dallas CowboysWest coast, Texas coast, burnt toast: Cowboys don’t need more runsBrandin Cooks will change the way defenses play the Dallas CowboysWhy the Dallas Cowboys defensive X-Factor is EDGE Sam WilliamsDallas Cowboys: 3 head coach options if McCarthy fails in 2023Dallas Cowboys: Is CB Jourdan Lewis a tradeable asset?But if Tank is productive, it’ll be a trickle down effect for the defense and overall team. Constant pressure and sacking the quarterback results in more third and long situations giving the offense more chances with the football.The Cowboys young secondary can pin its ears back and jump routes as if they were playing backyard football. The Dallas defense will either get an interception or force a punt, resulting in good field position for the offense.The rest will be history because Dak Prescott will operate in good field position and the talented Ezekiel Elliott will score touchdowns on the regular.Next: Why a Dallas Cowboys-trade is closer than you thinkSo Tank’s dominance can be benefit the entire team, and finally Dallas’ defense can be a lethal combination to match its high powered offense.We haven’t seen that since Dallas’ last Super Bowl victory, way back in 1995.And that’s why we need Tank to be dominant once again."