'Work First': What's Carl Lawson Chance to Help Cowboys Defense?

Depth across the defensive line brewed as a potential cause for concern for the Dallas Cowboys at the end of the NFL Draft and free agency in the spring. That lingered into the summer and glared after Sam Williams went down for the season with a torn ACL.

The Cowboys finally sprung into action last week, trading for Jordan Phillips and signing Carl Lawson. The latter of those two filled void on the depth chart installed through Williams' injury.

On the edges, Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence will continue as the stars of those roles, but Dallas and newly appointed defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer will need reliable pieces behind those two. Lawson provides that boost, bringing a record of production with him that was lacking behind the two big names.

"Got to see him work first. There's always collaboration in these types of situations, especially with a veteran," Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said Monday . "You got to look at his experience, his productivity. Obviously he knows the system... there's definitely a fit for us."

Lawson worked with Dallas defensive run coordinator Paul Guenther through his rookie season in Cincinnati in 2017. That campaign remains one of Lawson's most impactful, where he had 8.5 sacks in 16 games.

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But Dallas won't need him to rekindle that pass rushing acumen. Instead, the hope rests on aiding as a run stopper, an area already projecting improvement with Zimmer at the helm.

The familiarity with Guenther and the Zimmer coaching tree should benefit on that front.

Lawson said himself that "the stars aligned" in his signing with the Cowboys. If that attitude carries over onto the field and he can fill a secondary role with this group, Dallas' may have a real solution after navigating trouble on the edge earlier in camp.