BIGDen
Dr. Freakasaurus
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Personally, I'm happy we drafted Lawrence. I was certainly disappointed that we gave up another fairly high pick for a player but at least it wasn't a 2nd like we gave up in the Claiborne move. I understood why we did it. Unfortunately, at least in Dallas' view, there were only 3 impact RDEs in this draft. This was the last of the 3. They didn't want to get "Ungered" and lose the guy they coveted. RDE was an absolute need for this team. It was a smart, aggressive move IMO, but quality costs a good amount sometimes. Hopefully he locks down that RDE position for years and can be a consistent double digit sack guy - that would make this a great selection. Dallas had the hardest time finding a RDE for so many years. Remember the late 80's? Minus trading for Haley (one of the greatest moves in this franchise's history) we couldn't find one in the 90's or 2000s either. Shante Carver, Pittman, etc. Ekuban never became what they had hoped. Finally we drafted Ware as a 3-4 OLB and he gave us the first great pass rusher since Haley. My point is that these guys, at least for this franchise it seems, are hard to find.
I've liked Lawrence during this whole process for a couple of reasons. One is silly - his name. Demarcus (Ware) Lawrence (Taylor) is just the most perfect pass rushers name. Lol. Obviously that's meaningless, but it got my attention. The next reason was his production. He made so many impact plays/games played. His Production ratio: [(SACKS + TACKLES FOR LOSS) / NUMBER OF COLLEGE GAMES PLAYED = PRODUCTION RATIO](from bloggingtheboys) is excellent. He makes a lot of plays in the opponents' backfield. He's young, and will likely get bigger and stronger (not that he is weak or plays soft). He has the physical attributes one looks for in a RDE and plays with a physicality and aggressiveness that I love to see. One thing that really stood out in the videos was his ability to react to QBs who tried to elude him. He has a great ability to change direction and does not run by the QB like we've seen so many players do over the years. This is especially important in this era of the mobile, elusive QB.
As far as the cost, I wonder how the trade would be viewed if we moved up a couple of spots higher for the same price. If we got him at pick #31, would be people be upset that we gave up the that 3rd for an additional 1st rounder? Moving up from the 2nd to the bottom of the 1st for a 3rd rounder doesn't sound so bad does it? It's kind of like the Frederick situation of last year. People were saying "We spent a first rounder on that 2nd round center?!" If he was taken a couple of spots later, it might've been viewed differently. Frederick in the 2nd wouldn't have sounded like the reach people (incorrectly) thought he was. I think the 1st or 2nd round label has more of an impact on the fans/media than it probably should. In that late 1st/early 2nd area, they're all (theoretically) similarly graded players. Broaddus had Lawrence at #24 overall I believe (Martin was 11 I think). Dallas probably had Lawrence ranked in the 20's. In a deep draft, giving up a 3rd stinks, but to get a player you have ranked in the 20s that fills a CRITICAL need is probably a smart move.
I've liked Lawrence during this whole process for a couple of reasons. One is silly - his name. Demarcus (Ware) Lawrence (Taylor) is just the most perfect pass rushers name. Lol. Obviously that's meaningless, but it got my attention. The next reason was his production. He made so many impact plays/games played. His Production ratio: [(SACKS + TACKLES FOR LOSS) / NUMBER OF COLLEGE GAMES PLAYED = PRODUCTION RATIO](from bloggingtheboys) is excellent. He makes a lot of plays in the opponents' backfield. He's young, and will likely get bigger and stronger (not that he is weak or plays soft). He has the physical attributes one looks for in a RDE and plays with a physicality and aggressiveness that I love to see. One thing that really stood out in the videos was his ability to react to QBs who tried to elude him. He has a great ability to change direction and does not run by the QB like we've seen so many players do over the years. This is especially important in this era of the mobile, elusive QB.
As far as the cost, I wonder how the trade would be viewed if we moved up a couple of spots higher for the same price. If we got him at pick #31, would be people be upset that we gave up the that 3rd for an additional 1st rounder? Moving up from the 2nd to the bottom of the 1st for a 3rd rounder doesn't sound so bad does it? It's kind of like the Frederick situation of last year. People were saying "We spent a first rounder on that 2nd round center?!" If he was taken a couple of spots later, it might've been viewed differently. Frederick in the 2nd wouldn't have sounded like the reach people (incorrectly) thought he was. I think the 1st or 2nd round label has more of an impact on the fans/media than it probably should. In that late 1st/early 2nd area, they're all (theoretically) similarly graded players. Broaddus had Lawrence at #24 overall I believe (Martin was 11 I think). Dallas probably had Lawrence ranked in the 20's. In a deep draft, giving up a 3rd stinks, but to get a player you have ranked in the 20s that fills a CRITICAL need is probably a smart move.
