As the Dallas Cowboys sort through their current roster of defensive ends and try to find a suitable partner for All-Pro Micah Parsons, one of their former players is continuing his impressive career by making noise with his new team.
DeMarcus Lawrence, who spent 11 seasons in Dallas and made four Pro Bowls after being selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, is now a Seattle Seahawk. And head coach Mike MacDonald seemed thrilled to have him as he spoke to the media during training camp earlier this week, calling Lawrence "the best drill player I've ever seen in my life."
Of course, going through drills in training camp is vastly different from live reps during a game, but hearing a new team immediately praise one of your former players can't be very pleasant for the Cowboys and their fans.
The Cowboys' decision to move on from DeMarcus Lawrence
Dallas' decision to move on from Lawrence was likely a tough decision. As the team faced cap issues (again) while trying to continue to lock up vital pieces of its future, it had to say goodbye to some players who had played admirably over the years and were once considered future stars.
Lawrence was one of those, and it made sense considering his recent production and availability. He only made it through the first four games last season before being put on the shelf with a Lisfranc injury, and it's been seven years since he last finished a season with double-digit sacks.
With a need to find a way to extend Parsons before his current contract expires, there simply wasn't room to re-sign Lawrence, especially to any deal resembling the three-year, $32.5 million contract he signed with Seattle.
It was a move that had to be made, but the early reports coming out of Seattle's training camp may cause some concern within the Dallas brass, considering how thin and unproven the current roster is at the position. And if he rediscovers his former self on the field and continues to receive this kind of praise throughout the season, they'll regret it.
Seattle teammate also praises Lawrence
MacDonald isn't the only member of the Seahawks with early praise for the veteran defensive end as training camp begins. His new teammates have echoed their coach's sentiments.
Defensive tackle Jarran Reed, now in his second stint with the Seahawks, was the latest to praise Lawrence during a local radio appearance.
"What you see with him is what you get," Reed said. "He doesn't hold his tongue. I like that. He reminds me of old school football ... his style of play. I think it's great because we needed more of that around here. He's a great addition around here and a great guy."
Time will tell, but it's up to Lawrence to show he can still produce at a high level.
Entering the offseason, it seemed like a no-brainer for Lawrence and the Cowboys to part ways. But as he adjusts to his new surroundings and Dallas' loss becomes Seattle's gain, the Cowboys could very well end up regretting putting themselves in a position to lose him.