Fisher: Meet Demarcus Lawrence, Cowboys ‘QB Hunter’

[boozeman]

Meet Demarcus Lawrence, Cowboys ‘QB Hunter’


By Mike Fisher | 105.3 THE FAN |
May 10, 2014 3:26 PM


IRVING (105.3 THE FAN) — Right before the Cowboys made official their decision Friday to knowingly overpay for a trade-up to get Boise State defensive end Demarcus Lawrence with the 34th overall selection in the NFL Draft, Dallas personnel boss Will McClay leaned on the war-room table to express his support of the move to Jerry and Stephen Jones.

“Lawrence,” McClay said matter-of-factly, “is a Quarterback Hunter.”

In the first round, Dallas drafted offensive lineman Zack Martin. In doing so the Cowboys adhered to a plan to take the best available guy (while resisting the temptation to instead select the similarly-graded Johnny Manziel, who Jerry jokingly said has an “Elvis” vibe that would’ve been to overwhelming in combination with the existing “America’s Team” circus.) But in the second round, Dallas – admitting a desperate need for a right (pass-rush) defensive end – bent toward need. Trading their second- and third-round picks (Dallas shipped rival Washington the No. 47 and No. 78 overall picks to move up 13 spots) is pricy.

But think of it like you have a toothache. And you are confident a trip to the dentist will fix it.
Would you pay a little extra for the surgery?

“We had to give a little more than the (trade-value) charts read out because we didn’t want to lose him,” Stephen Jones told us on 105.3 The Fan. “We had to sweeten that pot a little bit.”

In two seasons at Boise State, the 6-3, 251-pounder recorded 20 sacks and 34 tackles for losses. We asked him to provide a self-scouting report.

“I’m quick, I’m vicious … I’m ruthless,” Lawrence said. “I’m just gonna try to kill you, really.”

Lawrence was given a trio of one-game suspensions at Boise State for violating team rules. As a pre-draft visitor to Cowboys HQ, the suspensions – “childish behavior,” in Lawrence’s words — were discussed and Dallas obviously came away satisfied.

Lawrence, who grew up a Cowboys fan in South Carolina, projects to be the heir to seven-time Pro Bowler DeMarcus Ware. I asked him about his knowledge of the legendary DeMarcus.

“I guess (the Cowboys) know how to breed ‘em,” said the hopeful Quarterback Hunter.
-------------

Sounds familiar.

I remember Peppi Zellner saying the exact same crap after he was drafted.

 

[Clay_Allison]

Meet Demarcus Lawrence, Cowboys ‘QB Hunter’


By Mike Fisher | 105.3 THE FAN |
May 10, 2014 3:26 PM


IRVING (105.3 THE FAN) — Right before the Cowboys made official their decision Friday to knowingly overpay for a trade-up to get Boise State defensive end Demarcus Lawrence with the 34th overall selection in the NFL Draft, Dallas personnel boss Will McClay leaned on the war-room table to express his support of the move to Jerry and Stephen Jones.

“Lawrence,” McClay said matter-of-factly, “is a Quarterback Hunter.”

In the first round, Dallas drafted offensive lineman Zack Martin. In doing so the Cowboys adhered to a plan to take the best available guy (while resisting the temptation to instead select the similarly-graded Johnny Manziel, who Jerry jokingly said has an “Elvis” vibe that would’ve been to overwhelming in combination with the existing “America’s Team” circus.) But in the second round, Dallas – admitting a desperate need for a right (pass-rush) defensive end – bent toward need. Trading their second- and third-round picks (Dallas shipped rival Washington the No. 47 and No. 78 overall picks to move up 13 spots) is pricy.

But think of it like you have a toothache. And you are confident a trip to the dentist will fix it.
Would you pay a little extra for the surgery?

“We had to give a little more than the (trade-value) charts read out because we didn’t want to lose him,” Stephen Jones told us on 105.3 The Fan. “We had to sweeten that pot a little bit.”

In two seasons at Boise State, the 6-3, 251-pounder recorded 20 sacks and 34 tackles for losses. We asked him to provide a self-scouting report.

“I’m quick, I’m vicious … I’m ruthless,” Lawrence said. “I’m just gonna try to kill you, really.”

Lawrence was given a trio of one-game suspensions at Boise State for violating team rules. As a pre-draft visitor to Cowboys HQ, the suspensions – “childish behavior,” in Lawrence’s words — were discussed and Dallas obviously came away satisfied.

Lawrence, who grew up a Cowboys fan in South Carolina, projects to be the heir to seven-time Pro Bowler DeMarcus Ware. I asked him about his knowledge of the legendary DeMarcus.

“I guess (the Cowboys) know how to breed ‘em,” said the hopeful Quarterback Hunter.
-------------

Sounds familiar.

I remember Peppi Zellner saying the exact same crap after he was drafted.

To be fair, Zellner was a 4th rounder.

 

[boozeman]

No knock on second-rounder Demarcus Lawrence, but Cowboys overpaid to get him

Rick Gosselin

Published: 10 May 2014 08:03 PM



Regular readers of my NFL draft coverage over the last two decades know my universal starting point.

I value draft picks.

They are like gold bars. They come at no cost, assigned by the league based on well or how poorly a team fared the previous season. Every team gets a minimum of seven of them.

That’s seven chances for an NFL team to make its roster cheaper, younger and better. Those picks should be treated with respect for the value they represent. The longer you hold onto them, the more they increase in value.

Needless to say, I’d hate giving any of them away.

And that’s the problem I had over the weekend with the Cowboys’ draft.

They gave away another high pick. Again.

I didn’t like the trade up into the top 10 in 2012 for cornerback Morris Claiborne and wrote that at the time. It cost the Cowboys their second-round pick to move up.

And I didn’t like the trade up to the top of Round 2 on Friday night for edge rusher Demarcus Lawrence. It cost the Cowboys a third-round pick to move up 13 spots for the Boise State end.

The problem wasn’t the player. The problem was the cost.

The first three rounds in every draft are the premium rounds. In the salary-cap era, those three picks should be walk-in starters for a non-playoff team like the Cowboys.

Tampa Bay found its starting quarterback (Mike Glennon) in the third round last April. The Colts, Jets and Lions all found starting guards there in 2013. Arizona found a starting safety (Tyrann Mathieu) and Oakland a starting linebacker (Sio Moore). San Diego found a wide receiver (Keenan Allen) in the third who caught 71 passes for 1,046 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie last year.

The Cowboys found two players in the third round in 2013 who combined to start 13 games as rookies — wide receiver Terrance Williams and safety J.J. Wilcox.

The third round can offer a choice selection.

But the Cowboys gave up theirs. In fact, they overpaid in the process for the Lawrence pick.

I consulted two trade charts, which assign point values to each of the 256 draft picks in 2014. Washington’s 34th pick was valued at 560 points. The two picks the Cowboys surrendered were valued at 430 points (fourth in the second round) and 200 (78th in the third round).

The Cowboys said afterward they believed Lawrence was their last real shot at an impact edge rusher in this draft. Lawrence measures 6-2 1/2, 251 pounds with 4.83 speed. All that produced 10 1/2 sacks at Boise State last season.

The Redskins, with the second-round pick they received from the Cowboys, took Stanford edge rusher Trent Murphy at 47. He measures 6-5 1/2, 250 pounds with 4.87 speed. That produced an NCAA-leading 15 sacks last season.

The Cowboys will tell you that Lawrence was a true 4-3 end and that Murphy was a 3-4 outside linebacker. But the Cowboys would have been willing to convert Anthony Barr from college outside linebacker in a 3-4 to NFL defensive end in a 4-3 had the UCLA All-American fallen to them in the first round. So conversions are possible.

Even if you don’t want Murphy at 47, Kony Ealy of Missouri was still on the board. Kony measures 6-4, 273 with 4.88 speed. He’s a true end in a 4-3 and collected 9 1/2 sacks last season in the SEC, the highest level of college football.

But the Cowboys don’t always study their other options. They tend to lock in on one player and then become vulnerable to pay whatever the asking price. The Rams benefited in 2012. The Redskins benefited this time.

The Cowboys operate under the annual belief that they are one player away. In 2012, that one player was a cornerback. In 2014, that one player was an edge rusher.

The Cowboys aren’t one player away. Not with the NFL’s worst defense a year ago and some depth issues at both wide receiver and running back. The subtraction of Jason Hatcher and DeMarcus Ware and the addition of Demarcus Lawrence do not thrust the Cowboys into Super Bowl contention. Not with the schedule that awaits them in 2014.

Would the Cowboys have been better off staying put and drafting tackle Timmy Jernigan in the second and end Kareem Martin (11 1/2 sacks last season at North Carolina) in the third? Would they have been better off with Ealy in the second and Florida State All-ACC safety Terrance Brooks in the third?

Again, this is not a knock on Lawrence. He can become a contributing starter. In fact, he needs to become more than a contributing starter. He needs to become special because it cost the Cowboys two potential starters to get him.

 

[Clay_Allison]

We spent the equivalent of a first round pick to get him, I heard on the radio they had a first round grade on him. He basically has to live up to that standard for it to be a good pick.

 

[boozeman]

We spent the equivalent of a first round pick to get him, I heard on the radio they had a first round grade on him. He basically has to live up to that standard for it to be a good pick.

Pretty much. It was a pretty significant investment. He wasn't just another 2nd rounder. He cost us another potential starter.

 

[Clay_Allison]

Either he's a legit contributor and a future 10 sack guy or he is a disappointment (like Spears and Spencer).

 

[Bob Roberts]

“I’m quick, I’m vicious … I’m ruthless,” Lawrence said. “I’m just gonna try to kill you, really.”

Hey hey hey...

Our 'nice guys' aren't going to allow that kind of talk for too long.

 

[hstour]

Hey hey hey...

Our 'nice guys' aren't going to allow that kind of talk for too long.

Our nice guys need a little of that attitude.

 

[boozeman]

Garrett says Lawrence not necessarily a 'walk-in starter,' but good enough to be



Demarcus Lawrence is not necessarily a “walk-in starter” at right defensive end, coach Jason Garrett said.

“We don’t like to use that, that he’s a walk-in starter,” Garrett said. “Nobody’s a walk-in starter. You’re going to come in here, and you’re going to earn it. But we feel like he has the ability to do that, or we wouldn’t have taken him as high as we took him.”

Garrett said the Cowboys rated Lawrence as a first-round talent in pass-rush ability. The Cowboys’ previous four first-round picks – receiver Dez Bryant, tackle Tyron Smith, cornerback Morris Claiborne and center Travis Frederick – were all immediate starters.

“We feel very good about the player,” Garrett said. “We feel good about the players we have on our team, and we’re going to compete. And everybody’s going to compete for what their role is and what their job is. And again, that’s good for your team.”

Garrett said the Cowboys will start on Monday talking about how the addition of Lawrence affects the other defensive linemen, like Tyrone Crawford.

“Even if we consider him a defensive end player, say on first and second down, he might be an interior rusher on third down,” Garrett said of Crawford, a third-round pick in 2012 who did not play in 2013 because of an Achilles injury. “He has that kind of versatility. That's where you can really create some matchups up front, when you take those pressure players from outside and you put them inside on some guards and create these one-on-ones across the board that can be really good. And he certainly has the flexibility and versatility to do that.”

-- Carlos Mendez

 

[p1_]

Garrett says Lawrence not necessarily a 'walk-in starter,' but good enough to be



“We don’t like to use that, that he’s a walk-in starter,” Garrett said. “Nobody’s a walk-in starter. You’re going to come in here, and you’re going to earn it. But we feel like he has the ability to do that, or we wouldn’t have taken him as high as we took him.”

You mean you wouldn't have hugely overpaid for the guy if you didn't think he was a walk in starter.

By the way, his price tag pretty much dictates he's a walk in starter, IMHO.

 

[Hawkeye19]

We spent the equivalent of a first round pick to get him, I heard on the radio they had a first round grade on him. He basically has to live up to that standard for it to be a good pick.

In essence, we gave up a 3rd and swapped seconds for a player we had a first round grade on… If he plays up to a first round pedigree, we actually come out ahead in terms of value. We would have parted with quantity to obtain quality.

Of course-- if he sucks ass then in the end we wasted two picks on a guy who wasn't worth one. Time will tell. I'm interested in seeing what Marinelli can do with the DL talent he's been given in this draft.

 

[Cotton]

Our nice guys need a little of that attitude.

No doubt, and I think that's what Boberts was intimating there.

 

[Simpleton]

Supposedly Lawrence was our next highest ranked defensive player after Barr, Donald and Shazier, so if they are right in that evaluation, the trade up should be worth it.

 

[Bluestar71]

I have a problem buying this Lawrence grading out as a first round talent stuff when the people doing the grading are the same morons that think Jeff Heath is a viable NFL Safety.

 

[NoDak]

I have a problem buying this Lawrence grading out as a first round talent stuff when the people doing the grading are the same morons that think Jeff Heath is a viable NFL Safety.

Sounds good in theory, but a lot of people were saying he could easily be a first rounder in the weeks leading up to the draft. It wasn't just Dallas.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Sounds good in theory, but a lot of people were saying he could easily be a first rounder in the weeks leading up to the draft. It wasn't just Dallas.

Yeah, I even considered him a legit possibility for our first pick in the draft, especially if we traded down a little. Lawrence was an excellent pick and I think he will be a very good RE here. The problem is the cost of that third rounder really turned this draft into a two player draft. I think we got two good starters in this draft but we really need to hit on more then just our top two picks.

 

[NoDak]

Yeah, I even considered him a legit possibility for our first pick in the draft, especially if we traded down a little. Lawrence was an excellent pick and I think he will be a very good RE here. The problem is the cost of that third rounder really turned this draft into a two player draft. I think we got two good starters in this draft but we really need to hit on more then just our top two picks.

Agreed all around.

I really like our to first two picks, and think they'll be an immediate help to us. But like you said, giving up that third was tough. I also like Street, Gardner, and Mitchell.

I freely admit I don't know jack about the others.

 

[Simpleton]

Agreed all around.

I really like our to first two picks, and think they'll be an immediate help to us. But like you said, giving up that third was tough. I also like Street, Gardner, and Mitchell.

I freely admit I don't know jack about the others.

Bishop is pretty nice, solid against the run.

 

[L.T. Fan]

I suppose it is a necessary evil to have a sounding board like a rating system to validate a draft choice but it is puzzling to me why it becomes the most valid measuring stick to gauge a player's worth to a club. The puzzling part is that there are dozens of rating systems and they are sometimes really far apart. If that isn't enough then the fans and pundits spend weeks and sometimes months critiquing the choices not by their performance but how far off the mark they are to the rating system. This will continue to resonate sometimes even after the player has left the team. Oh well.

 

[ravidubey]

The DL will rotate, and even 7th rounders can be effective when used sparingly.

The DL will be better than last season just by having gotten younger.

I'm very concerned about LB where we are down to one half of one stud manning 6-7 positions. LB's have to be too versatile to rotate out like you can a DL, they must play most of the game-- and we have one of the worst LB corps in the league.