Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence: I ‘try to be as violent as I can’ on football field
By Mike Dyce
The Dallas Cowboys made a bold, and perhaps necessary movie, to let some veterans leave their defensive line. That specific unit was hard hit by injuries last season, and DeMarcus Ware is heading to the Denver Broncos and Jason Hatcher signed with the Washington Redskins.
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The Cowboys responded by drafting former Boise State defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence to fill the void. Aside from the position they share, the first same first name Lawrence and Ware share will likely draw comparisons between the two. Lawrence isn’t feeling any pressure to “be DeMarcus Ware” though.
“I don’t feel like no pressure is on,” Lawrence said, via the Dallas Morning News. “They want me to come in and be the best player I can be and that’s just the pressure on me that I put on myself. I come in with high expectations and come to get the job done. DeMarcus Ware set the standards very high and it’s great, but I have a job to do now.”
What Cowboys fans can expect is a physical defensive end who says he tries to play a violent game, as violently as he can.
“Football is a violent game, so I go in each and every day and try to be as violent as I can,” Lawrence said, via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News, “because when I look at the bigger picture, the next man is always going to try to be better than you. I go in every day ready to work and try to get better.”
The Cowboys have been criticized for being soft in the past, dating back as far as former head coach Wade Phillips “cupcake” training camps. A physical defensive lineman not afraid to get a little violent might be what the Cowboys need. Pairing him with Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, who is also a bit of a defensive line guru, might help Lawrence be that player the Cowboys need rushing he quarterback.