Seahawks Fortify EDGE Rush, Sign Ex-Cowboys DE Demarcus Lawrence
Dallas Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence carries the football after recovering a fumble against the Washington Commanders.
Adding more bite to their pass rush off the edge and much-needed toughness to the front line, the Seattle Seahawks have agreed to terms with former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence on a multi-year contract.
The move was officially announced by Aura Sports Group, who represents Lawrence, while multiple reports indicated that the deal would be a three-year pact with the Seahawks worth up to $42 million. The contract carries $18 million in guarantees and reunites him with defensive coordinator Aden Durde, who coached him with the Cowboys for three seasons from 2021 to 2023.
A long-time fixture on Dallas’ defensive line, Lawrence emerged as one of the NFC’s best all-around defensive ends for America’s Team, racking up 450 tackles and 61.5 sacks in 11 seasons with the franchise. His best production as a pass rusher came back in 2017 and 2018 when he totaled 25 sacks, 49 quarterback hits, and six forced fumbles, parlaying an All-Pro selection and two Pro Bowls into a massive contract extension.
Since those two monster seasons, Lawrence hasn’t been able to replicate those gaudy sack numbers, never producing more than 6.5 sacks in a season since 2019, and he has only eclipsed 10 quarterback hits three times during that span. Injuries have been part of the reason behind the diminished production, as he played in just seven games during the 2021 season and missed the final 13 games last season due to a Lisfranc fracture in his foot.
But while Lawrence has not necessarily been a sack artist over the past six seasons, he has surpassed 47 pressures in three of the past five seasons and remained a highly effective, physical tone setter against the run off the edge, totaling 49 tackles for loss and finishing with a 79.0 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus four times. He finished second in the NFL among edge defenders with 36 run stops in 2022 and tied for seventh with 27 run stops in 2023 before missing most of last season, garnering Pro Bowl honors for his efforts despite modest pass rushing numbers.
Set to turn 33 years old next month and coming off a significant injury, signing Lawrence carries plenty of risk for the Seahawks. No longer in his prime, it would be safe to assume he won’t be playing north of 60 percent of the snaps with Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe, and Derick Hall also on the depth chart, and he may have to settle into a rotational role rather than an accustomed starting gig.
But before he went down last season, Lawrence recorded three sacks in the Cowboys’ first three games and looked to be in for a resurgent season in the pass rushing department. With the versatility to line up out wide, as a base 5-tech end, or even reduced inside to 3-tech alignment on passing downs, he offers the positional flexibility coach Mike Macdonald covets along with a different skill set and with his reputation as a stout run defender, he could offer a similar jolt that Jadeveon Clowney did for the Ravens in the same scheme in 2023.
The decision to sign Lawrence also casts some questions about Nwosu’s status, as general manager John Schneider told reporters at the NFL combine last month that Seattle had been working on restructuring his contract after pushing back his roster bonus date. No news has come out on that front since, and if the two sides weren’t able to come to an agreement, this latest move could be the insurance policy in case the two sides decide to part ways.
