Looking to bolster Mike Macdonald’s defense, the Seahawks went after a veteran and very productive edge, DeMarcus Lawrence, who was with the Dallas Cowboys for a decade. With his most productive years in the rearview mirror, what can we expect from D-Law in his time with the Seahawks?
Who is DeMarcus Lawrence?
Lawrence was drafted in the second round by the Cowboys in 2014 out of Boise State. He missed much of his rookie season due to a right foot injury during training camp. The following year he had a streak of seven games with at least one sack. In 2016 he was suspended for four games for using banned substances and still missed three more games due to injury. In 2017, he stood out with a season of 14.5 sacks, the second-best number in the league, reaching his first Pro Bowl. In 2018, he again achieved double-digit sacks and reached the Pro Bowl for the second time. In 2019, after signing a 5-year contract, he had 5 sacks. He remained the leader of the Cowboys’ DL and in the process, in addition to getting a 3-year contract in 2022, he was a Pro Bowler in 2022 and 2023. In 2024, he played only 4 games due to a foot injury. In his 11 years in Dallas, he accumulated 450 tackles and 61.5 sacks. Contract
Seattle signed DeMarcus Lawrence to a 3-year, $32.49 million contract with $18 million guaranteed that reunites him with defensive coordinator Aden Durde, who coached him with the Cowboys for three seasons from 2021-23 as a DL coach. Incentives could add nearly $10 million to the total value. In fact, when it was announced, it was listed as three years and $42 million. We haven’t seen the structure yet, but it could be something in the range of two years and $18 million, in reality.
The fact that he has a good chunk of benefits is a reassurance for the Seahawks who are bringing in a (soon-to-be) 33-year-old veteran who is coming off an injury that took him out for most of the season.
Key Stats
Demarcus Lawrence had 3 sacks, a forced fumble, 4 TFLs, and 5 QB hits and 9 pressures in his first four weeks last year before getting hurt. We don’t know how he’ll come back, but it’s worth noting that all of that production came in two games: the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants in Weeks 1 and 4, respectively. In Weeks 2 and 3, D-Law didn’t record a single pressure.
DeMarcus Lawrence among edge defenders since 2023:
PFF grade in 2024:
90.0 (9th);
91.0 run defense (3rd);
In his last fully healthy season in 2023, Demarcus Lawrence generated -29.9 run stop EPA, the 5th lowest among edge defenders in the league.
Since 2019, even playing with Micah Parson (only starting in 2021), Lawrence has never had a season with at least seven sacks. He has missed significant playing time due to injuries, playing in just seven games during the 2021 season and missing the final 13 games of last season due to a Lisfranc fracture in his foot.
Lawrence’s role in the Seahawks defense
At 33 next month and recovering from a significant injury, the signing of Lawrence carries a lot of risk for the Seahawks. No longer in his prime, it would be safe to assume he won’t play more than 60 percent of the snaps with Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe and Derick Hall, and he may have to settle into a rotational role rather than the starting job he’s used to.
The Seahawks cut Roy Robertson-Harris and Dre’Mont Jones earlier this month, and D-Law should be able to replace their snaps, with the versatility to line up on the wing, as a 5-tech base end, or even reduced to a 3-tech alignment in obvious passing situations. In addition, he was used as a blitzer standing in the middle of the line, something that Macdonald likes to do, and he is very good at stunts/twists, something that is also used a lot by the HC.
Seeking to “recover” as a veteran, Macdonald has on his resume the good seasons of Kyle Van Noy and Jadeveon Clowney who achieved more prominence after a few years of absence. The latter played the most similar role to what Lawrence should do, focusing on stopping the run game.
He threatens to attack the inside gap, but goes to the outside, finding a clear path to the backfield thanks to his physical explosion.
Here, experience and intelligence appear again. He lines up wide, giving Charles Cross the idea that he would attack the C gap. However, he jumps to the B gap with speed, catches the OT off guard and makes the tackle, preventing the conversion of a fourth down.
I think he moves well for a heavy EDGE like him. He wins the hand fight even against a much bigger player and has an excellent bend to get on top of Deshaun Watson. However, he misses the sack.
We need to take into account that he is here against Evan Neal, but he threatens with a good stutter step and uses the swipe move to get away from the OT and make the sack.
Here the play develops to the opposite side of D-Law, but he keeps his eyes and direction on the QB and manages to the pressure.
Eyes on the QB and the Giants put a TE to block him, which doesn’t seem like a good idea. The TE ends up on the ground and so does the QB.
In the running game, it’s also not a good idea to try to block him with a TE.
This type of play should happen a lot with him and Leo Williams for stunts/twists. He has good timing both to threaten the OT and to get to the guard quickly.
Boye Mafe was used like this in some packages with only one DT and three edges on the field. D-Law could fit into these special packages as well.
Final Thoughts
The decision to sign Lawrence also raises some questions about Nwosu’s status. In fact, between the time of writing and the time of publication there may be a chance that the EDGE will no longer be under the Seahawks’ control. At the NFL Combine John Schneider said that the team postponed paying a bonus to Nwosu, but so far no decision has been made.
Regarding Lawrence’s arrival, the biggest question will be how healthy he is. It’s a young team, so his 33 years help with that as well. Knowing Durde and being a great fit with what Macdonald’s DL does is a big plus.
