FRISCO — The first few days of the Dallas Cowboys' offseason have been relatively quiet. They sparked headlines with their denial for the Chicago Bears to interview Mike McCarthy, but little has been made known about the current dealings within the confines of The Star this week.
Whether McCarthy returns or not will have a significant impact on the offense and the futures of core pieces Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. But the Dallas defense will undergo a more intriguing transition period in the coming months.
Mike Zimmer's return is an unknown at this time, meaning the Cowboys could be looking at their third defensive coordinator in as many seasons. Parsons is also due a significant contract extension that would presumably make him one of the highest paid defensive players in the league.
But with the urgency of identifying a leader and securing their star long term, finding the players to fit around those pieces remains just as important.
Defensive end Carl Lawson wants to have a role in this future, claiming he is "100-percent" on returning to Dallas.
“This is the year where I feel like I’ll have my biggest jump going into next season,” he said, making his intentions perfectly clear. “I don’t think this was my best season, but I’m more confident about going into the following season than I have before because now I know what to do and I know how to work on those things.”
“I know I have scary potential as a football player. I know I can put it on, it’s just having that consistently and being able to put it out there. I’m excited about what I’ll be able to put in this offseason," he said via the Fort Worth Star Telegram.
“The winning part of it wasn’t there, but bonding in the NFL, this was my best season doing that with my teammates.”
Lawson provided necessary depth for the Cowboys on the edge this season with Sam Williams missing the entire season with a torn ACL and rookie Marshawn Kneeland missing time as well. He finished with five sacks, 15 total tackles and a forced fumble.
The Cowboys will see several players from their defensive front hit the free agency market at the end of the league year in March. Some of those players including DeMarcus Lawrence and Osa Odighizuwa could command a price too high for the Cowboys to pay.
But Lawson, whose potential suitors and price tag may not be so glamorous, could be a viable option to add depth to the Cowboys' defensive front. However, it is going to take more than one small move for Dallas to restore their defense to match the levels of their recent success.
