Star quarterback Dak Prescott injury could mean Demarcus Lawrence will be heading elsewhere in next year’s free agency. It may be months away, but it’s interesting to bring up considering the Dallas Cowboys don’t have a legitimate roster to be a postseason contender anymore, or probably next year after a disappointing 2023 campaign. However, one report suggests Lawrence will have a heavy market this upcoming offseason so they may prioritize extending Micah Parsons to a monster contract. It shouldn’t surprise anyone if the Cowboys move on from him since they’ll likely get younger and focus on the talent they’re bringing in.
Originally selected in the 2014 NFL Draft, the four-time Pro Bowler was one of the league’s best edge rushers before injuries slowed him down. Lawrence has not played since week four dealing with injuries so this may not intrigue the team to extend him further since he’s looking more like a liability. This isn’t his first time missing games in his contract year, he missed 10 games with a foot injury in 2021. However, the veteran is aging and it may be safe for the Cowboys to let him test the open market.
Lawrence’s return this season will just mean putting on an audition. The Cowboys at 3-6 with Cooper Rush as their leader are in no shape to be a contender. The Ravens, Chargers bringing him in to reinforce their defensive corps could bring out the best in his abilities.
Star Quarterback Dak Prescott Injury Could Mean Demarcus Lawrence Leaving in 2025
Jim Harbaugh’s Philosophy
As much as Jim Harbaugh loves the run game, he wants the defense to win football matchups with physicality. The Chargers are a wild-card team but they’re sitting on top of a lot of woes attempting to keep their heads above high water. Los Angeles will be in good hands with Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa but they haven’t been efficient enough to compensate the woes they’re suffering from on their offense. The pass catchers have been atrocious other than Joshua Palmer and rookie Ladd McConkey so they could depend on their defense to win its football matchups.
No guarantee will happen this year since they’ve been tackling issues this season. Justin Herbert could’ve been better this year but if his defense could give him more possessions on the field, he could excel better. However, Harbaugh wants to make sure the entire defensive line can get after the quarterback so a guy like Lawrence could be an efficient disruptor. While Lawrence has a history of injuries, they could use him in the rotation to see what can be done to bring the pressure each week.
Biggest Baltimore Weakness
The Baltimore Ravens are close to being a complete roster this season after making a few moves. After trading for Diontae Johnson, they finally addressed the wideout issue in the back end behind Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman. Nelson Agholor is still a reliable deep threat but Johnson should add some help to open the field more for Lamar Jackson. However, will that help compensate for the atrocious defense they’ve been having this season?
This will be the story to watch as they will compete in the postseason and it doesn’t help they lost Yannick Ngakoue already. He was a reliable depth piece to assist uprising linebackers David Ojabo and Odafe Oweh. Kyle Van Noy and Roquan Smith could have more sacks on their resume if the entire defense had experience like them. Lawrence might be battered but it’s better than depending on an edge rusher that’s still going through growing pains.
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