The injury bug bit the Cowboys hard in Week 4, as Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence went down during the win over the New York Giants. While Parsons will try and play through his high-ankle sprain, Lawrence landed on the injured reserve thanks to his knee injury. The four-time Pro Bowler might be on the older side, but he was still a vital part of the Cowboys pass rush. Through the first four games, the Boise State product recorded three sacks, 14 tackles, five quarterback hits, and one forced fumble.
The Cowboys need a player like him on their defensive line, especially since Parsons won’t play up to his usual standard thanks to the ankle injury. While they might not have the in-house options to replace him, they could look for a trade partner. Head coach Mike McCarthy is in the final year of his contract and will not be back if the Cowboys can’t go on a deep playoff run, so his job security depends on finding someone capable of filling in while DeMarcus Lawrence works his way back from injury. Looking across the league, the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers could be potential trade partners.
Cowboys Could Trade With Saints, Panthers After DeMarcus Lawrence Injury
As previously mentioned, the New Orleans Saints are probably looking to trade edge defender Cameron Jordan. A first-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Jordan used to be one of the most ferocious pass rushers in the NFL, making eight Pro Bowl teams and earning First-Team All-Pro honors in 2017. However, the California product started to slow down in 2023 and has been relegated to a depth role in 2024 behind Carl Granderson and free agent signee Chase Young. Jordan isn’t the player he once was, but he should be a capable fill-in while DeMarcus Lawrence works his way back from injury.
After spending the past 14 years in New Orleans, perhaps a change of scenery could bring out the best in the veteran pass rusher. The DeMarcus Lawrence injury will impact the Cowboys, but they still have reliable playmakers in Chauncey Golston and Marshawn Kneeland. Cameron Jordan won’t need to be a superstar, he’ll just need to rotate with those two to provide some pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Buying or Selling?
The Cowboys played on Thursday Night Football, so they have over a week to find their potential DeMarcus Lawrence replacement. This is good news, as Carolina’s future will likely depend on what happens in Week 4. After looking like the worst team in football under Bryce Young, veteran quarterback Andy Dalton guided the team to a dominant victory over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3. Now just one game out of the division lead, the Panthers must see if Dalton can keep it up or if this was just a one-week fluke. If they can pull an upset and beat the Cincinnati Bengals, then Carolina will try to make an improbable playoff run.
However, if they lose and regress to their norm, they could trade someone like Jadeveon Clowney to the Cowboys. Carolina brought in the former first-overall pick as a short-term fix after trading away Brian Burns. While he’s still a reliable defender, there is no point in having a 31-year-old edge defender when you cannot win games in the short term. Jadeveon Clowney would be the ideal DeMarcus Lawrence injury replacement and could even be an upgrade down the stretch for a team that desperately needs to go on a deep playoff run.
Main Photo: Jeff Lange – USA Today Sports
