Disappointment of Demarcus Lawrence

[Jake]

I have a question. The two really big contracts, Tank and Zeke. What do you think the Cowboys record is in 2019 without them?

I think they miss the playoffs with or without them.

 

[ondaedg]

There is no reason we should be comparing Quinn and DLaw. Quinn was the beneficiary of DLaw's presence and he was mauled in the run game against several teams. DLaw may not have had the sack numbers but he is the better overall player by a mile.

 

[eromeopolk]

At this stage really hoping that Nolan and his assistant coaches can light a fire under one of the most disappointing players in 2019, Demarcus Lawrence. He forced a cap hit of 21 million last season and produced 5 sacks on the season? We paid for elite and got trash. 5 sacks, all other top pass rushers in the league even getting double team still produced while Lawrence play was pathetic. He did a lot of jawing during the season yet was never a game changing factor on the season. The man needs to rededicate himself and play to the level of elite

Taco Charlton finished the year with the Dolphins with 5 sacks really puts the whole Dallas mess in perspective.

 

[Redball Express]

At this stage really hoping that Nolan and his assistant coaches can light a fire under one of the most disappointing players in 2019, Demarcus Lawrence. He forced a cap hit of 21 million last season and produced 5 sacks on the season? We paid for elite and got trash. 5 sacks, all other top pass rushers in the league even getting double team still produced while Lawrence play was pathetic. He did a lot of jawing during the season yet was never a game changing factor on the season. The man needs to rededicate himself and play to the level of elite

I chuckle when people want to call out Tank.

Good lord..

the team mistakenly dragged out his contract playing games with his deal.

He correctly decided to wait on surgery until his deal got signed.

The negotiations went nowhere for 2-3 months and in the end, Tank took their offer.

This was a waste for everybody.

Especially for Tank. It resulted in a slow recovery and left him out of TC for the most part.

Then he played in the regular season but he was less effective due to insufficient time to heal and rehab.

Now the fans are unhappy over less impact for Tank.

Obviously people who complain never had injuries or illness that required surgery and rehab.

Healing, rehab and full recovery are different with everybody.

Tanks deal was as much about rewarding him for past play as well as future expectations.

Bare all this in mind.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

DLaw played the game, he got paid. He didn't perform and those are the simple facts. All the rest is window dressing. When I get paid, nobody cares how hard the job is. I took the job, I took the pay and I will be expected to produce results. Now, you can say that my job and DLaw's job are not the same but who cares? This applies to any job, any vocation.

I never supported the new contract, I didn't think we should have paid him like we did but it's done. Now he has to play for pay. All the rest is just a bunch of talk. Get it done or move on. The money is spent so might as well try and get results, with or without him.

 

[Denim Chicken]

 

[texbumthelife]

- of course he's gonna give him just a handful of snaps inside, the guy is not a full time DT. you want to move him inside to gain a quicker path to the QB.
And that changed once Michael Bennett arrived and took over that nickel pass rush role.

- and if we are moving him to the weak side as you suggest, that's more likely a more difficult disadvantage for DLaw as he has to take on the opponent's
best edge pass blocking OLineman at the LT spot.
Marinelli actually did that with moving him to right DE side, and he proved far more ineffective there than vs his usual left DE side and inside nickel.

Again, moving a guy inside may be "quicker" as the crow flies, but it's hardly easier and rarely a faster path. He's almost guaranteed of a double team from the C & G inside. You move him inside to get all your best pass rushers on the field at once, and moving him in was the best way to do that.

Furthermore, I didn't say "move him to the weak side." I said give him snaps on the weak side like he got his first few seasons. He was hardly "ineffective" it's just that you guys arent happy with anything but sacks. He regularly shoved LTs back into the pocket. He's not gonna scream around that corner, but if you put him there and blitz around him with speed, who's the LT gonna block?

This isn't the 80s. The effectiveness and responsibility of the RT and LT aren't that different anymore. Most tackles are expected to be superior pass blockers, regardless of the side. The point of moving him to the weak side (this isn't madden, it's not just right or left) would be getting him more one on one match ups, less chips, less TEs over him.

I'm not saying doing this would suddenly net him 20 sacks, I'm saying these are the sorts of things you do with talented players. These are the things I think Nolan will do because he's not strictly a "line up and beat your guy" coach.

But by all means, keep complaining without offering any reasonable ways to remedy the issue. Personally, I don't complain just to complain.

 

[texbumthelife]

Dlaw hasn't had help inside from the DT role for years - even when he collected his 2 best years here with 14 and 11 sacks respectively.
And he plays on the edge and going one on one most times,. so not getting help inside doesn't/shouldn't affect what he needs to do on the outside.

He flat out just has to hold his own and take matters into his own hands. He was re-signed to a handsome contract to be that impact " War Daddy" we need - especially down the stretch and
critical crunch time of key games. and still to this day, he still flat out disappears down the stretch run for whatever reason.

the only help he gets is what Quinn putting up and delivered the double digit sack totals (11 sacks) on the other side for the entire DL pass rush ..period.
something that we simply were not getting from Dlaw.

And I dunno if Quinn will even be re-signed as a 3-4 OLB here with the way he struggled in that role in Miami.

He also got flat out manhandled playing the run, regularly completely taking himself out of plays before the T even put a hand on him. Love him and want him back, but the amount of people bagging on Lawrence while praising Quinn shows the football IQ around here.

 

[texbumthelife]

DLaw played the game, he got paid. He didn't perform and those are the simple facts. All the rest is window dressing. When I get paid, nobody cares how hard the job is. I took the job, I took the pay and I will be expected to produce results. Now, you can say that my job and DLaw's job are not the same but who cares? This applies to any job, any vocation.

I never supported the new contract, I didn't think we should have paid him like we did but it's done. Now he has to play for pay. All the rest is just a bunch of talk. Get it done or move on. The money is spent so might as well try and get results, with or without him.

But you're just whining. About someone else's money. That's all. Some of us are formulating and talking about ways to maximize Lawrence. Others just want to throw **** at the front door of the Star over money someone else spent that doesn't effect them in the least.

 

[texbumthelife]

How dare you bring analytics into an emotional diatribe! This isn't the place for your witchcraft!

 

[panchucko]

He held out to get a deal and Jerry paid him was that Jerry fault? sure, no doubt Jerry would have caught hell had he not signed Lawrence given the fact that he was in double digit sack the 2 season prior. Add to that Lawrence knowing he needed shoulder surgery waits to the last second to get it done. As for lack of DT it did not slow down Quinn DLaw problem was his play not anyone else. Frustrating part is knowing a player is capable of great play then seeing him play piss poor all the while jawing week in and week out yet never backing it up with the play.

I would have pulled the tag, let him see there was no market for injured player that needed months and months of recovery. Taco would have given us the same production

 

[ShiningStar]

again, let me remind the folks who easily believe something.


PAY THE MAN!!!!!!!!!!!


thats what happeens when you get used to low standards

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

But you're just whining. About someone else's money. That's all. Some of us are formulating and talking about ways to maximize Lawrence. Others just want to throw **** at the front door of the Star over money someone else spent that doesn't effect them in the least.

LOL..... Looks to me like you are the one whinning. You stated your opinion and the board rejected it and you. Then you went to the, "Hey, I didn't do it, I'm just breaking down the season/player." You didn't like what you were told, which BTW, was the truth, and now you are trying to do the same here. Sorry, that's a hard fail. You don't like it, sucks for you. It's the truth and you can accept it or not but the one thing you can't do is tell me what's up because I saw this coming before this deal was ever done. Sorry for your luck tex, your done.

 

[jrumann59]

The big disappointment whether it was on him or Bumanelli. Was his lack of snaps. Countless times he was on the sidelines for a crucial 3rd down etc. I mean hes gettin $100 million and he played 60% of the snaps. Just for reference JJ Watt coming off a torn pectoral played 61% of the snaps in the game last week.

Unfortunately it was the system that relies on mass substituting. Once Bennett got here they took Lawrence out more because Bennet was a better pass rusher than anything else they had. The DC valued Lawrences run defense who is elite and the teams run defense sucked

 

[Captain43Crash]

He didn't force anything, Jerry didn't have to sign him. The lack of an elite DT hurt him, I never questioned his hustle. But, I get where you're coming from.

He’a A good player. Very good vs the run. He has not shown he is elite. Jerry got desperate and over paid him big time. Just like we over paid Zek.

We could have had TJ Watt too, instead of soft Taco. How in the heck did they think Taco was better than Watt. Look at Watt’s blood lines and his motor!!

 

[Captain43Crash]

Unfortunately it was the system that relies on mass substituting. Once Bennett got here they took Lawrence out more because Bennet was a better pass rusher than anything else they had. The DC valued Lawrences run defense who is elite and the teams run defense sucked

You don’t pay 20 million to a run defender!!

 

[Starforever]

That's right but Lawrence is the leader.

Never correct me in front of the guys again.

I'm at work, and as I read this, laughter erupted. Must put phone down!

 

[Captain43Crash]

Who OK'd this $21M expenditure? Whoever it is they need to be fired !!!!!

Jerry!

 

[ondaedg]

This gonna tick off a bunch of anti-DLaw zoners. Thank you for posting it.

 

[jrumann59]

You don’t pay 20 million to a run defender!!

No you don't but if he is the only reliable one you don't grind him into dust by playing the whole game either.