The Dallas Cowboys have been hard at work trying to recover from the embarrassing 2024 season that saw them miss the playoffs after three straight years with 12 wins. It's been a rough 12 months for Jerry Jones' underwhelming group, though there's a strong foundation here that could compete for an NFC Championship appearance as soon as this year.
Adding George Pickens via trade to partner with CeeDee Lamb represents a major win, but Dallas has to keep pace with the increasingly improving foes in the NFC.
This division is a difficult one, and one former Cowboy might suddenly be a threat to sign with the Washington Commanders, who have emerged onto the scene with dramatic force.
Former Cowboys DE Carl Lawson a Threat to Sign With Commanders
The Cowboys have clearly moved on from veteran defensive end Carl Lawson, having already assigned his jersey number to linebacker Justin Barron. Lawson appeared in 15 games for Dallas last season, starting three, but remains a free agent as we approach OTAs.
Lawson will turn 30 in June and has struggled with injuries in the past, though he could still be a valuable contributor as a rotational defensive lineman in the right system. Washington desperately needs defensive help after getting ran all over by the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC title game, and few remaining options have the upside that Lawson does.
He has 8.5 sacks in his rookie campaign, 7.0 in 2022, and 5.0 for the Cowboys in 2024. Despite seeing just 41% of the defensive snaps, Lawson was still a respectable 116th out of 211 qualified edge rushers at Pro Football Focus.
It's telling that no other team has signed him yet, so perhaps the market has soured on the 2017 fourth-round pick out of Auburn. Regardless, the Cowboys can't afford to let the Commanders get any advantage, and signing Lawson would represent one.
We'll see if this decision comes back to bite the Jones family, yet it's a dangerous thing to consider that acquiring Lawson could give Washington the missing piece the defense desperately needs.