The Cowboys sign a former $45 million starter before making any adjustments to their roster.
On August 1, 2024, the Dallas Cowboys had a workout with four seasoned pass rushers, led by former New York Jets defensive Carl Lawson. Dallas, which lost Sam Williams for the season, is looking for seasoned pass rushers. DallasCowboys.com’s Nick Eatman said in a July 31 message on X that “the Cowboys are bringing in four veteran pass-rushers on Thursday for a workout, including Carl Lawson, who has 27 career sacks.” “Justin Hollins, Shaka Toney, and Al-Quadin Muhammad work out as well.”
Of these four defenders, two have already been signed by Dallas. Al-Quadin Muhammad was signed by the Cowboys to a one-year contract, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Josina Anderson, an NFL insider, claims that Dallas is also signing Shaka Toney. In a message posted on X on August 1, Patrik Walker of DallasCowboys.com stated, “Shaka Toney is a former teammate of Micah Parsons at Penn State.” He also performed in Washington under Jeff Zgonina. I could think of two more reasons why he deserves a nod. Previously an All-Big Ten edge rusher as well.
Carl Lawson, Could the Cowboys Sign Him Too?
The significance of adding experienced pass rushers has increased since Williams’ ACL injury at the start of training camp ended his season. Early signs point to Lawson not signing a new contract with the Cowboys, but it will be interesting to see if this develops over the next several days.
Lawson just finished his career’s worst statistical season. With the Jets, the veteran appeared in just six games and recorded five tackles with zero sacks. In 17 starts, Lawson recorded 33 tackles, 24 quarterback hits, 9 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, and a forced fumble in a far more successful 2022 campaign. A lower salary will probably be involved in Lawson’s next contract, given his availability at the moment. The defender was signed to a three-year, $45 million contract in New York.
Veteran pass rushers Shaka Toney and Al-Quadin Muhammad were signed by the Cowboys.
Cowboys supporters began to wonder about Lawson’s availability after he posted a star emoji on July 28 in response to Williams’ injury. Nick Harris of DallasCowboys.com explained what fans should anticipate from the acquisitions and why Lawson would be more difficult for Dallas to sign.
In a message posted on August 1, Harris said, “Carl Lawson – R4 pick for CIN in 2017, 27 career sacks in 74 games, would be a power addition to the EDGE room, might cost you a little bit more than the others.” Shaka Toney, a 2021 R7 pick for the Washington State Rams, is Micah Parsons’ collegiate teammate and has 1.5 career sacks in 26 games. Harris went on, “Al-Quadin Muhammad, the R6 selection of the New Orleans Saints in 2017, was effective in stopping the run with 12 career sacks in 84 games out of the league last year.
“These guys are mostly power rushers, but Taylor fills the vacuum left by Sam Williams with more of an athletic presence. However, Lawson has some sports items in his suitcase that might be incredibly useful. Muhammad was a member of the Indianapolis Colts roster during multiple periods in 2023. The pass rusher last participated in an NFL game in 2022, making 16 appearances (nine of which were starts) with the Chicago Bears. Similar to Muhammad, Toney hasn’t participated in an NFL game since the Washington Commanders’ 16 appearances in 2022.