Helman: D. Lawrence To Appeal Suspension; Cowboys Hopeful For Reduction

Cotton

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D. Lawrence To Appeal Suspension; Cowboys Hopeful For Reduction
Thursday, May 05, 2016 11:04 AM CDT

By David Helman
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer


IRVING, Texas – DeMarcus Lawrence will appeal the four-game suspension he is reportedly facing, Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones confirmed Thursday morning.

It’s a case that has been a bit murky from the get-go, as the NFL has yet to officially announce anything about potential discipline for the third-year defensive end. Having said that, numerous reported have stated that Lawrence is facing a four-game ban after violating the league’s substance abuse policy, and Jones has confirmed that fact himself.

Speaking in a radio interview with 105.3 The Fan, Jones said Lawrence will appeal, and he’s hopeful that – much like Orlando Scandrick two years ago – the suspension will be reduced.

"It’s under appeal and very similar to what you just alluded to -- that's the situation there that it was reduced from four to two, but we wouldn’t want to be presumptuous enough,” he said.

Scandrick was suspended in 2014 when he tested positive for amphetamines – the same substance that reportedly resulted in Lawrence’s penalty. He was set to miss the first four games of the season, but that was reduced to two and he was able to return in time for the Cowboys’ Week 3 win against the Rams.

Jones said he’s hopeful Lawrence can catch a similar break, but he didn’t want to jump to conclusions about how the process will play out.

“It's under consideration, and just like anything that's being judged, you don't want to get out here and be trying to tell them what to do,” he said. “Let them look at all the facts and all the entire situation which is what is required and will be done and maybe we can get a reduction."

Anything that can get Lawrence back to the field would be huge for an ailing Cowboys’ pass rush, as Randy Gregory was also served with a four-game suspension this offseason for violating the substance abuse policy.

Those two losses put the Cowboys in dire straits to start the season. They signed Benson Mayowa to a free agent contract last month, and they drafted Charles Tapper in the fourth round of last weekend’s NFL draft.

Despite that, without Lawrence in the lineup, the Cowboys’ current defensive ends have a combined 8.5 career sacks to their names.
 

Landry

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Goodell will probably tell him he should have learned from the Scandrick deal. Four games.
 

Cowboysrock55

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Eh, he may have a good argument which means that the two sides settle on something like two games. Scandrick's may have been 0 games except I don't think a decision was made on a rule change until after he missed 2 games.


It's funny, I think the NFL just dropped a suspension on a guy who tested positive from eating tainted meat on vacation. Not sure how he was able to prove that but it's pretty crazy. I don't think the NFL should be eager to suspend their players.
 

townsend

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I'm fucking sick of Principal Goodell. WGAS if these guys do recreational drugs, especially in the offseason, is it going to cause them a fraction of the health problems that playing the sport will? Unless it boosts their on field performance why bother to regulate?
 

Cowboysrock55

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I'm fucking sick of Principal Goodell. WGAS if these guys do recreational drugs, especially in the offseason, is it going to cause them a fraction of the health problems that playing the sport will? Unless it boosts their on field performance why bother to regulate?
Especially legal drugs. Agree or not, Weed is now legal in certain states for example. I think it's sort of ridiculous for the NFL to continue to test for and suspend players over a drug that is legal. It doesn't help players on the field and doesn't really harm them off the field. I just don't see the point in players careers being ruined over it.
 

L.T. Fan

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Especially legal drugs. Agree or not, Weed is now legal in certain states for example. I think it's sort of ridiculous for the NFL to continue to test for and suspend players over a drug that is legal. It doesn't help players on the field and doesn't really harm them off the field. I just don't see the point in players careers being ruined over it.
The rules are the rules until they are changed. Can't blame the commissioner. Blame the owners and rules committee. If it's a bad rule change it but don't ask him to disregard the Leagues policies. Might as well ask him to overule anything at his desecration.
 

ravidubey

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I'm tired of our second round picks being regarded with asterisks and question marks.

Lawrence had better be prepared to pick up where he left off in 2015.
 

Cowboysrock55

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The rules are the rules until they are changed. Can't blame the commissioner. Blame the owners and rules committee. If it's a bad rule change it but don't ask him to disregard the Leagues policies. Might as well ask him to overule anything at his desecration.
Yeah I'm speaking more to the fact that I think it would be in the NFL's best interest to change the rule. I'm not trying to say Goodell should just go rogue and not follow the guidelines as they are set out. But he is also the person who has led changes in the past and I think he should do that again.
 
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