Myles Garrett Trade Fallout: Rams, Eagles, Carter, Browns, Verse, McCoy
The trade that sent longtime Browns defensive end Myles Garrett to the Super Bowl-hopeful Rams was a long time in the making — two months and four days, to be exact. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, that’s how long it took for negotiations between Rams general manager Les Snead and his Browns counterpart, Andrew Berry, to conclude.
This wasn’t the first time the Rams had sent an offer to Cleveland; it wasn’t even the second. Los Angeles went shopping for pass rushers around the trade deadline in 2022 and, among offers to several other teams, offered two first-round picks and a fourth-rounder for Garrett, though Berry has no interest in trading him at the time. Then, following this past season, Snead called the Browns in late March and upped the offer.
The offer purely comprising of draft capital was not going to be enough, as Cleveland made clear following the draft that Rams defensive end Jared Verse would have to be a part of any trade, but it demonstrated how serious Los Angeles was about getting a deal done.
Over the long course of these negotiations, Berry made sure to keep Garrett in the loop. Per Breer, Garrett wasn’t the only one hearing from Berry. The seventh-year GM reportedly reached out to three well-known personnel executives in other sports. St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti, and Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas were trusted for advice and expertise, especially given Bloom and Presti’s trade experience in their respective sports. The trio’s input led to the team’s insistence on getting a player — not just draft picks — in the return-side of the trade.
Before ultimately agreeing to the final terms, Jimmy Haslam and his family hosted Berry and Garrett for one last meeting to reminisce and make sure Garrett was good with how things were concluding. Garrett’s contract included a no-trade clause, so his go-ahead was a crucial part of the deal, and according to ESPN’s Sarah Barshop, it was a decision Garrett needed to “sleep on” before finally waiving the no-trade clause.
In the immediate fallout of the trade, some rumors emerged that the Eagles had been a team that expressed interest in trading for Garrett and that defensive tackle Jalen Carter was a potential trade target for Cleveland. Negating that notion, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported this week that Philadelphia “never made a play” for Garrett and that “there’s zero chance they would’ve wanted (Carter) in return.”
The player the Browns did want, Verse, also had some negative feelings about being traded, not towards his new team but in regard to leaving his home of the past two seasons. After the Rams drafted Verse at No. 19 overall in 2024, Verse rewarded them with two Pro Bowl campaigns to go along with his own Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
In his introductory news conference in Cleveland (via Andy Backstrom of Yahoo Sports), Verse told the media, “I loved LA. I loved the coaches, the organization, my teammates, everybody a part of it, the fans — I loved the whole vibe of LA, the Los Angeles Rams, and it was upsetting. I was upset for a good little bit of time.”
The last tidbit of information relayed by Breer pertains to a different trade the team performed in the offseason. Los Angeles traded its second first-round pick in this past year’s draft, the 29th overall pick, to Kansas City in a package of picks that landed them Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie in return. Per Breer, the Rams had interest in Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy at the end of the first round, but when his draft stock plummeted for medical reasons, the team pivoted and made the move for McDuffie. McDuffie and Garrett now stand as two gigantic additions to a team looking to make the most of veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford‘s last few good years.
Broncos OLB Jonathon Cooper Arrested
Broncos outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper was arrested on Thursday night, according to TMZ. He is being held in a Colorado jail on two counts of domestic violence and one count of criminal mischief.
Cooper’s girlfriend was also arrested on misdemeanor domestic violence and criminal mischief charges, Mike Klis of 9News reports. While arguing over cheating allegations, she admitted to taking Cooper’s phone and throwing it across the room. Cooper then grabbed her arm and took his phone back, according to the affidavit.
Cooper faces a misdemeanor charge “of criminal mischief from $300 to $999,” per the Denver Post’s Luca Evans and Parker Gabriel, who add his girlfriend is facing an additional charge of “petty criminal mischief less than $300.” After retrieving his phone, the 28-year-old defender told the woman he would break her phone if she did not leave his apartment. When she refused, the player allegedly bit her phone and caused “disabling damage.”
“We are aware of the matter and gathering more information,” the Broncos stated (via Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette).
Obtaining a personal recognizance bond, Cooper was released from custody, according to the Post. His girlfriend remained in custody at the Douglas County Jail as of Friday afternoon.
Cooper has developed into a key defender for the Broncos since they drafted him in the seventh round in 2021. The former Ohio State Buckeye worked as a reserve in his first two seasons, during which he combined for 86 tackles and 4.5 sacks over 30 games (14 starts). Since 2023, though, Cooper has put together three consecutive 17-start seasons and combined for 27 sacks. He recorded a career-high 10.5 in 2024, and the Broncos awarded him a four-year, $60MM extension during the season. There are still three years left on the deal.
Thanks in large part to an elite defense, the Broncos went 14-3 last year, earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC and made it to the conference title game. Their defense easily led the league in sacks (68) and ranked second in yards and third in scoring. Cooper played the unit’s ninth-most snaps (682, good for a 60.68% share) and posted 50 tackles, 16 QB hits and eight sacks. The 28-year-old also chipped in a sack in the AFC championship, but the Broncos were unable to overcome the absence of injured quarterback Bo Nix in a 10-7 loss to the Patriots.
As Denver tries to get over the hump this year, it will again count on Cooper to join two-time Pro Bowler Nik Bonitto as its top edge rushers. However, the Broncos may go some portion of the season without Cooper if his arrest leads to a suspension under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
49ers Announce Front Office Updates
This week, the 49ers announced a number of updates to their front office. For starters, while we had known San Francisco had reunited with former director of football research & development Kwesi Adofo-Mensah following his dismissal from a role as Vikings general manager, but we didn’t know his title. Alongside the announcement of several promotions, the team disclosed that Adofo-Mensah’s title in his return will be vice president, personnel & strategy.
Also earning the VP moniker this week was Austin Moss II, who was promoted from senior director, player affairs & development to vice president, player development & team dynamics. Moss started with San Francisco in 2018 as the team’s director of player engagement and was promoted to his most recent position in 2024.
Formerly working as manager, football administration, Jeff Weidemeyer worked his way up to senior manager, football administration & roster management. Weidemeyer’s NFL career began as a salary cap analyst/staff counsel in Philadelphia from 2012-16. After six years as executive vice president and general counsel at Select Sports Group, Weidemeyer returned to the league as football contract administrator for the 49ers in 2022, getting promoted to his most recent role in 2024.
In the scouting department, Nathan Biehl was promoted from NFS scout to area scout. Biehl joined the team in 2024 after four years interning in video with the Buccaneers. Replacing him as NFS scout will be Ryan Carter, who has been promoted from scouting assistant. Carter is also in his third year with the team.
Another third-year scouting assistant, Casey Filkins also earned a promotion and will now work as a player personnel scout filling a role made vacant when former player personnel scout Jordan Fox was promoted to pro scout. Like many others here, Fox joined the 49ers two years ago, doing so after a two-year stint as a scouting assistant for the Jets.
Also, in the personnel department, Grant Bordelon has been promoted from football personnel systems analyst to football systems and personnel operations specialist. He also joined the 49ers in 2024 after a playing career as a defensive lineman at MIT. Lastly, former assistant to the general manager Michael Gonzalez has been promoted to head of general manager operations. Unlike everyone else here, Gonzalez joined the team in 2014 as a football operations intern, working different roles over the past 12 years “supporting the club’s executive football leadership across personnel operations and strategic planning.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/5/26
Friday’s only minor moves:
New York Jets
- Waived from reserve/PUP list: C Gus Hartwig
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DT Zion Wilson
- Waived: WR Brandon Hayes
The Eagles are bringing in another undrafted rookie, though Wilson didn’t go undrafted in the same way as the rest of the team’s UDFA class. Per Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia, Wilson had sought a sixth year of eligibility to transfer to Virginia after he didn’t appear in any games during his true and redshirt freshman seasons at East Carolina. Ultimately, his sixth-year waiver was denied by the NCAA, so he will, instead, turn to the NFL.
Rams Would Welcome Aaron Donald Unretirement
JUNE 5: The Rams plan to keep the door open for a Donald return well into the season, SportsBoom.com’s Jason La Canfora notes. This could mean an early-season return or a Suh- or Joseph-like midseason reemergence. Although Donald has been away much longer than those two DTs when they joined the Eagles midway through the 2022 season, plenty of smoke has emerged here since the Garrett trade.
JUNE 4: Aaron Donald ended one of the greatest careers in NFL history at age 33, stopping after 10 Rams seasons. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year made a case as the greatest defensive tackle ever during that period, but the Rams have been able to get by defensively without the all-time great.
The Rams have been able to stay afloat defensively due in large part to successful front-seven draft investments. The team hit on Kobie Turner and Byron Young in the 2023 third round and then landed Jared Verse and Braden Fiske in the 2024 draft’s first two rounds. Los Angeles used Verse as the headline asset in the Myles Garrett package, and Donald took notice of another future Hall of Famer joining the Rams’ defense.
Going a whole two seasons without a surefire Hall of Famer on defense, the Rams acquired Garrett and will pair him with the Young-Turner-Fiske trio. Donald, however, created considerable buzz in the wake of the trade by indicating he is considering a return to football. The Rams’ three-year, $95MM Donald — agreed to months after Super Bowl LVI — contract carries one more season, in the event Donald would want to follow Philip Rivers in delaying his Canton clock.
Unlike Rivers, Donald is a no-doubt first-ballot Hall of Famer. He also plays a far more rigorous position. Unsurprisingly, Sean McVay said (via ESPN.com’s Sarah Barshop) the Rams would welcome a Donald return. But the former superstar, who regularly posts workout videos to social media, is far from certain to complete a comeback even with Garrett headlining Chris Shula‘s third defense.
“Aaron’s a guy that I stay really close in touch with and I know the respect that he has for Myles,” McVay said. “Talked to [Donald] about the opportunity to be able to bring [Garrett] on board. If Aaron decides he wants to dust them off at the age of 35, I bet you he could still do it at a pretty high clip.”
Perhaps the only D-lineman whose peak rivals Donald’s this century, J.J. Watt also teased an unretirement earlier this decade. Retiring after the 2022 season, when a heart scare occurred, Watt said he would consider a comeback to join the Texans or Steelers. But the CBS analyst said that window would close after the 2024 season. Donald is further removed from his career than his former peer was when he mentioned the prospect of a comeback, offering another complication.
Rather than rejoining the Rams this summer and going through another training camp, Donald could delay an unretirement for a bit and consider an in-season return. This seems like the more realistic path, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer offers. Mentioning Eric Weddle‘s unretirement in time for the 2021 playoffs — after the Rams had lost multiple safeties — as a potentially notable example (Weddle initially retired after the 2019 season).
The Eagles also signed Ndamukong Suh and Linval Joseph in mid-November 2022, adding the vets to their D-line after neither had gone through training camp or played in the first half of that season. Both played rotational roles for the NFC champions that year.
Donald playing a rotational role would be rather strange given his abilities pre-retirement. After missing a chunk of the 2022 season due to injury, Donald roared back with a seventh first-team All-Pro season in 2023. He finished that ’23 season with eight sacks and 16 tackles for loss, helping a Rams team that had themed 2023 around cost-cutting moves back to the playoffs.
Los Angeles has Fiske and Turner as locked-in regulars on its D-line. Donald returning would stand to cut into the younger 3-4 ends’ playing time. But a defense rostering Garrett and Donald to go with some rising young talents would obviously be formidable. Beyond a 2022 high ankle sprain, Donald does not have much of an injury history. Prior to 2022, the only two games he missed were due to a 2017 holdout. This may be a storyline to monitor well into the season — or until Donald shuts it down — as the Rams are viewed as early Vegas favorites to win a Super Bowl set to take place at SoFi Stadium.
Lions’ Alim McNeill Back To Full Strength
Defensive injuries have become an ongoing trend during this mid-2020s Lions resurgence. While no position group has been spared here, Detroit entered last season limited at defensive tackle. Neither Alim McNeill nor Levi Onwuzurike were available, and the latter did not play at all in 2025.
McNeill, whose ACL tear was among the slew of injuries Detroit endured during its 15-2 2024 season, did not make his debut until Week 7 of last season. He joined Onwuzurike on the Lions’ reserve/PUP list to start the campaign. McNeill, whom the Lions extended two months before his injury in 2024, played 10 games last season but said he was not fully healthy. That has since changed.
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Describing himself as limited in his first season back from ACL rehab, McNeill said (via DetroitLions.com’s Tim Twentyman) there is a “night and day” difference between then and now in terms of health. That is certainly welcome news for the Lions, who gave the former third-round pick a four-year, $97MM extension. The interior disruptor accompanies 2025 first-round pick Tyleik Williams as centerpieces of Detroit’s defensive line.
“Just being able to connect the mind and the body. Just my brain being able to know this leg is good and I can step and plant here,” McNeill said. “If you don’t have an inside rush, it doesn’t matter what you do. It’s what I’m here to do and what I’m going to do.”
McNeill, 26, finished last season with just one sack and two tackles for loss; the latter figure represented a career-low mark. McNeill had recorded at least six TFLs in each of the previous three seasons, combining for 19 from 2022-24. The high-priced D-lineman tallied just three quarterback hits; he combined for 24 over the previous three seasons. The Lions will be expecting a return to form in McNeill’s sixth season. His contract carries a full guarantee for 2026 and a $3MM guarantee in 2027.
McNeill heads up a Lions interior D-line corps that still includes Owuzurike, whose 2025 contract tolled due to him spending a full season on the team’s reserve/PUP list in a contract year (h/t Detroit Football’s Justin Rogers), to go with Williams, free agency addition Jay Tufele, third-year player Mekhi Wingo and sixth-round rookie Skyler Gill-Howard.
Bo Nix To Ramp Up Activity By Minicamp; Broncos To Keep Jonah Elliss At OLB
Bo Nix is not participating in Broncos OTAs, but his return timetable may be accelerated based on the last update. Sean Payton said at OTAs a Nix ramp-up in time for minicamp is likely to commence.
The third-year quarterback, who is recovering from a cleanup surgery that followed a January procedure on his ankle fracture, will have “more of a role” during the Broncos’ three-day minicamp. Denver’s mandatory minicamp will run from June 16-18.
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Some moderate concerns about Nix’s status emerged earlier this offseason, when it was revealed he needed a cleanup procedure following a medical evaluation. Initially, Nix was slated to return by OTAs; as it turned out, the QB needed more time.
A training camp return, at the very latest, is expected. But Payton’s update on his starter represents a good sign for the Broncos, who are set to return 10 offensive starters while adding Jaylen Waddle via trade. Nix and Waddle may be able to begin developing on-field chemistry this month.
Elsewhere at Broncos voluntary workouts, Payton may be ready for an about-face on Jonah Elliss‘ role. Operating as the Broncos’ third edge rusher during his first two seasons, Elliss was believed to be set for an extended look as an inside linebacker — where brothers Kaden (Saints) and Christian (Patriots) play. But Payton said (via the Denver Post’s Luca Evans) Elliss is “doing too well outside” for the team to move him. While the third-year linebacker may see time in an off-ball role at points, the EDGE position will remain his primary post.
The Broncos drafted Elliss in the 2024 third round, tabbing the Utah product — whose father (Luther) made a late-career Denver cameo in the 2000s — after a 12-sack 2023 season. Elliss, 23, registered five sacks as a rookie but just 2.5 in 13 games during an injury-shortened 2025. The Broncos had eyed an Elliss move to ILB to give more time to 2025 fourth-round pick Que Robinson, but it appears the second-year player will need to vie with the more experienced cog to play behind starters Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper.
The latter’s arrest Friday clouds Denver’s OLB outlook, as a suspension under the personal conduct policy could loom. Though, it is not certain Cooper will be suspended or that a league ruling would come down by season’s end.
Denver also returns its starting secondary, which looks to mean another backup role for 2025 first-round pick Jahdae Barron. The Texas product played just 30% of the Broncos’ defensive snaps as a rookie, working behind Patrick Surtain, Riley Moss and slot Ja’Quan McMillian. Barron battled McMillian for the slot job last summer, but Payton added (via the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson) he would see more time on the outside ahead of his second season.
Both Moss and McMillian are in contract years, and although the Broncos have completed a host of extensions since 2024, they probably will not pay both players. Barron taking over for one in 2027 is logical.
The team placed a second-round RFA tender on McMillian and has used Moss as Surtain’s primary sidekick for the past two seasons. Barron may have a chance to unseat Moss, who has enjoyed quality stretches while being regularly targeted (and penalized) as teams avoid Surtain, or at least begin developing on the perimeter in the event the starter leaves as a 2027 free agent.
Vikings GM Nolan Teasley To Control 53-Man Roster
Vikings ownership signed off on a two-pronged front office setup, and with Kevin O’Connell sticking around after the Kwesi Adofo-Mensah firing, the fifth-year head coach will be expected to carry considerable influence as well.
Minnesota hired Seattle exec Nolan Teasley as GM but retained longtime front office presence Rob Brzezinski, who had been serving as interim GM since Adofo-Mensah’s late-January firing. Brzezinski is in place as executive VP of football operations, and while that is a lofty title, he will still check in below Teasley regarding organizational power.
Brzezinski will report to Teasley, Vikings owner Mark Wilf said (via ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert). Teasley will also control the Vikings’ 53-man roster. However, Wilf confirmed both O’Connell and Teasley will report to ownership.
“He’s the general manager of the organization. He has final say on the roster, of the 53, but in the end, he’s going to lean heavily … on our head coach, obviously, and people like Rob Brzezinski in the building that have deep experience and skill sets that are complementary,” Wilf said of Teasley.
“… That’s the structure. That’s the way it is. [But] if it comes to structure, we’ve got a problem. The end result is making sure leaders collaborate, work together.”
With O’Connell and Teasley each reporting to ownership, Brzezinski profiles as more high-ranking lieutenant after the team’s decision not to hire him as its full-time GM. Brzezinski joined Teasley and three other assistant GMs — Terrance Gray (Bills), Reed Burckhardt (Broncos) and John McKay (Rams) — in receiving second interviews for the gig. McKay had worked with O’Connell previously in Los Angeles, while Burckhardt and Gray each spent more than a decade with the Vikings prior to joining their current teams. Teasley had no ties to the Vikes, but the team ensured some level of continuity by retaining Brzezinski — a Minnesota staffer since 1999.
O’Connell was “very involved” with the Vikings’ decision to hire Teasley, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said during a Pat McAfee Show appearance. We heard in April this would be the case, and O’Connell will certainly have a major voice in personnel decisions moving forward.
With Teasley in place atop the Vikes’ front office hierarchy, the Seahawks will receive two third-round picks due to the new hire’s status as a minority candidate. This comes after the NFL did not award the Bears two third-rounders for minority staffer Ian Cunningham‘s departure for the Falcons’ GM job. The league ruled Matt Ryan‘s presence as the top Atlanta football-side exec did not warrant the Bears receiving compensation, as Cunningham has effectively been deemed second-in-command with the Falcons.
Teasley, 42, comes over after 13 years with the Seahawks. He joined their front office ahead of the team’s Super Bowl XLVIII-winning season and bookended his Pacific Northwest stay by being John Schneider‘s top lieutenant when the 2025 Seahawks steamrolled to the Super Bowl LX title.
O’Connell’s influence expanded during his first four years at the helm, Seifert adds, noting the former NFL Coach of the Year is not expected to see his roster-building role scaled back after the Teasley hire. Ownership has certainly empowered the head coach in having him report to ownership. Several coaches have this power, though not all do. Wilf said in January the decision to fire Adofo-Mensah — who is now a 49ers exec — was 100% ownership-driven, attempting to absolve O’Connell there. He is far from the first HC to have influence in a GM hire, and the Vikings will hope a collaborative approach will help them turn the corner.
Seahawks, Derick Hall Agree To Extension
JUNE 5: Hall’s contract includes $15.27MM guaranteed at signing, according to OverTheCap. An additional $4.2MM will become fully guaranteed five days after Super Bowl LXI, per Spotrac. Another $1.5MM will lock in five days after Super Bowl LXII.
The Seahawks have used this structure in recent contracts, with Sam Darnold, Cooper Kupp and Ernest Jones earning early guarantees by remaining on Seattle’s roster this past February. The defending champs will use the February vesting plan for Hall as well.
JUNE 2: The Seahawks have managed to take care of another extension priority well before training camp. Edge rusher Derick Hall has a new deal in place.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports team and player have finalized a three-year extension. The pact has a base value of $42MM and can reach a maximum of $46.5MM. Hall is set to collect $21MM guaranteed. Instead of spending the coming season as a pending free agent, he will now be under team control through 2029.
The Super Bowl champions expectedly saw Boye Mafe depart in free agency this spring. Hall would have been in danger of doing the same one year later, but he will remain in Seattle for the foreseeable future. The Auburn product saw a drop in defensive usage in 2025, although a return to a starting gig may now be in store.
The No. 37 pick of the 2023 draft was part of the package sent by Denver to Seattle as part of the Russell Wilson blockbuster in 2022. The Seahawks found a number of key contributors to build around via that swap, and Hall – taken with that selection – was one of them. He managed limited production as a rookie while handling backup duties before taking a notable step forward in both playing time and output in 2024.
That year, Hall notched eight sacks, 29 pressures and a pair of forced fumbles. A long-term run near the top of Seattle’s EDGE depth chart seemed to be in store, but the signing of DeMarcus Lawrence gave the team even more options in the pass rush department. Lawrence wound up working as a full-time starter during his debut Seahawks campaign, with Uchenna Nwosu also serving as a regular on defense. Hall, like Mafe, was relegated to part-time defensive duties during the regular season (although he posted two sacks and a forced fumble in Super Bowl LX).
Lawrence and Nwosu are still under contract for Seattle. The team also added Dante Fowler last month on a one-year pact. No draft investments were made along the edge, so those three, along with Hall, will be counted on to play key roles on the Seahawks’ vaunted defense. Considering the terms of this commitment, Hall can be expected to handle a notable workload during his age-25 season and beyond.
With an average annual value of $14MM, this extension is the most lucrative one for Seattle pass rushers as things stand. That figure falls well short of the upper echelon of a market which reached $50MM annually earlier this offseason, though. As the Seahawks aim to repeat as Super Bowl champions, the team will hope to gain value on an extension which could prove to be quite team-friendly over time.
Seattle already worked out a monster extension with receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba this spring, while another lucrative pact for cornerback Devon Witherspoon looms. There is still plenty of work to be done in the latter’s case, but another long-term agreement has nevertheless been reached with a different member of the team’s defense with plenty of time to spare.
Cowboys, First-Rounder Malachi Lawrence Agree To Deal
The Cowboys have agreed to a deal with first-round edge defender Malachi Lawrence, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Lawrence’s four-year rookie contract will be worth $20.22MM, all of which is guaranteed.
The Cowboys took Lawrence 23rd overall, completing a two-pick opening round for a defense-needy team that added former Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at No. 11. Unlike the highly touted Downs, Lawrence was not seen as a clear-cut first-rounder for the entire pre-draft process. However, the UCF product’s stock began to soar in the weeks leading up to the draft. Lawrence met with at least 17 of the NFL’s 32 teams. Four other clubs targeted him in Round 1 before Dallas took him off the board, according to Cowboys vice president of player personnel Will McClay
The 6-foot-4, 253-pound Lawrence spent four years at UCF, where he broke out as a sophomore in 2023. Lawrence racked up 10.5 tackles for loss and a personal-best 7.5 sacks in 13 games that season. His numbers dropped a bit during an 11-game 2024 (six TFL, five sacks), but he closed his college career with a first-team All-Big 12 selection last season. Over 12 games, Lawrence tallied 11 TFL and seven sacks.
Lawrence upped his stock considerably with a tremendous showing at the Combine, where he ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash. He checked in second among edge defenders at the Combine in 40 time, 10-yard split, vertical jump and broad jump. The Cowboys (and other teams, judging by the vast interest in Lawrence) expect his athleticism to pay off in the NFL.
After trading all-world edge defender Micah Parsons to the Packers last August, the Cowboys tied for 26th in sacks (35) during a disastrous year for their defense. Journeyman Jadeveon Clowney led the team with 8.5 sacks, but the Cowboys did not re-sign him or fellow veteran pass rusher Dante Fowler in free agency. While Clowney is still on the open market, he may not be a fit in new coordinator Christian Parker‘s defense. Barring a Clowney re-signing or another outside pickup, the Cowboys will enter the year with Lawrence, trade acquisition Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku, James Houston and Sam Williams as their top options along the edge.
While Lawrence hasn’t officially signed yet, the Cowboys will have their entire rookie class under contract when he puts pen to paper. Here is a refresher on the seven-player group:
- Round 1, No. 11 (from Dolphins): Caleb Downs (S, Ohio State) (signed)
- Round 1, No. 23 (from Eagles): Malachi Lawrence (EDGE, Central Florida)
- Round 3, No. 92 (from 49ers): Jaishawn Barham (EDGE, Michigan) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 112: Drew Shelton (T, Penn State) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 114 (from Falcons via Eagles): Devin Moore (CB, Florida) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 137 (from Eagles)*: LT Overton (EDGE, Alabama) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 218 (from Titans): Anthony Smith (WR, East Carolina) (signed)