The Dallas Cowboys made their first big offseason decision by signing DeMarcus Lawrence to his franchise tag after posting a career-high 14.5 sacks which brought his career total to 23.5. There has yet to be an announcement surrounding the contract status of David Irving, who also posted a career-high with seven sacks in eight games. His season was shortened by suspension and injuries and he remains a restricted free agent.
In other news the Cowboys cut ties with defensive end Benson Mayowa, who primarily played opposite of Lawrence on the weak side of the defensive line. After posting six sacks his first year in Dallas, Mayowa followed that season up with just one sack of the quarterback in 2017. His release frees up nearly $3 million against the salary cap. The move wasn't a surprise as Mayowa only started two games, playing as a rotational player behind Tyrone Crawford.
However, behind the likes of Lawrence and Crawford, the defensive end depth chart looks a bit bare. The Cowboys have 2017 first round draft pick Taco Charlton, who they are trying to develop into a formidable force on the edge. Beyond those three players, there are a few question marks. The potential return of 2014 second-round draft pick Randy Gregory is up in the air and Charles Tapper has yet to play an entire season with injury concerns of his own.
The Cowboys can utilize Irving (provided he re-signs) and Datone Jones, who bounced around in 2017 before linking up with Dallas. After he signed in late November, Jones recorded one sack and one pass defended while starting two games near the end of the season. It's safe to presume that defensive end is yet again a need for the Cowboys. Enter Lorenzo Carter into the discussion.
Lorenzo Carter
College: Georgia
Position: Edge
Class: Senior
Measurables
Height: 6’ 4 7/8”
Weight: 250 pounds
Hand Size: 10 3/8”
Arm Length: 34”
Combine Results
40 yard dash: 4.5 seconds
Vertical Jump: 36”
Broad Jump: 130” (10’ 10”)
College Production
Fr: 10 Games, 41 Tackles, 4.5 Sacks, 7.0 TFL, 0 FF
So: 10 Games, 19 Tackles, 0 Sacks, 0 TFL, 1 FF
Jr: 13 Games, 44 Tackles, 5.0 Sacks, 6.0 TFL, 2 FF
Sr: 15 Games, 62 Tackles, 4.5 Sacks, 8.5 TFL, 3 FF
Total: 48 Games, 166 Tackles, 14.0 Sacks, 21.5 TFL, 6 FF
The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that Carter didn’t have mind-blowing sack production in four years at Georgia. Mainly this can be attributed to his utilization in the Georgia defense. He split time between playing outside linebacker and defensive end for Kirby Smart’s defense. The best option for Carter would be to focus on defensive end in the NFL. His frame is best suited for the position, not playing in coverage as an outside linebacker.
At almost 6’5”, Carter should be battling offensive linemen and not chasing receivers. Although, he has some flexibility to drop into coverage. His motor allows him to compile tackles on backside pursuit. For a slender pass rusher, he shows tremendous functional strength to stack offensive linemen before shedding them to reign in the ball carrier.
Given his frame, Lorenzo could easily play at 265 pounds. His frame reminds me of former Dallas Cowboys’ great DeMarcus Ware. That isn’t a comparison for play style, just how he could look wearing the silver and blue on Sundays. Right now, Lorenzo is 250 pounds but by the time that he gets to training camp, 265 wouldn’t hinder his play style at the next level.
Lorenzo Carter will need to work with coaching to improve his hand placement and hand fighting when engaging with offensive linemen. He does well enough during this play to fight off the right tackle’s punch and arcs around both the tackle and guard before flattening out to the quarterback. Carter doesn’t record the sack but does enough to force the pass to be short of it’s intended receiver. He was perhaps lucky to not be called for roughing the passer with that massive paw (10 3/8”) contacting the quarterback on the helmet.
In another example of good play by Carter, he stacks the tight end but stays on his outside shoulder so he doesn’t get sealed off from the outside. He maintains the ability to set the edge. Once the quarterback gets close to the line of scrimmage, Carter gets across the face of his blocker to take down the runner. Once they started falling to the turf, Lorenzo rips out the ball. Just a heads-up play.
Carter can also help on special teams as demonstrated by his ability to block this kick during the Rose Bowl. He would likely play on most special teams since he would certainly begin his career as a rotational player.
Carter is just another solid player from the Georgia Bulldogs’ defense that led them to a National Championship appearance. Should the Cowboys draft Carter, they may have to select him in the second round with the 50th pick overall.
Should the Cowboys use another top 50 pick on a defensive end or would you rather see them look to improve at other areas? Share your thoughts with Patrick on Twitter @DraftCowboys.
