When the New York Jets signed Carl Lawson to a monster three-year deal for $45 million, fans thought their pass-rushing woes were over.
Gang Green hasn’t had a double-digit sack artist since 2015 and unfortunately, that drought continued last season.
People inside the building said that Lawson appeared to be the best player on the team last year but he suffered a ruptured Achilles during a joint practice and never got to show it.
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Carl Lawson Is in Danger
Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac documented the most notable names with outs on their contracts in 2023.
A surprising name was featured on the list and that’s former Auburn product, Carl Lawson.
“Lawson’s first year in NY was derailed by injury. He’ll need a big 2022 to stick going forward as the Jets can free up $15M.”
If the Jets pulled the trigger and cut or traded Lawson next offseason they would only eat a $333,334 thousand dead cap hit. In that same vein, they would immediately create over $15 million in available cap space.
Initially, the thought of cutting a player of Lawson’s caliber seems crazy, but when you look at the stats it’s time to deliver.
Since his days in college, Lawson has struggled to stay healthy. In five years in the pros, the 27-year-old has missed over 30 games.
However, despite the injuries, Lawson has shown a lot of glimpses of dominant play:
- 20 sacks
- 83 quarterback hits
- 19 tackles for loss
Big Chance at an Amazing Debut
So that means there is a ton of pressure on Lawson to deliver this season. Fortunately, there is a tasty matchup he should be able to take advantage of in Week 1.
The Baltimore Ravens shared their final injury report ahead of Sunday and there was a notable name with a notable designation on the roster sheet:
Game status vs. Jets:
Superstar offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley was limited throughout the week in practice and officially received the “doubtful” designation ahead of the game with an ankle injury.
From all reports, Stanley is going to be out of this game which sets up Lawson to have a fantastic matchup against the Ravens’ backup offensive tackle.
That means Baltimore would turn to veteran Ja’Wuan James to cover the blindside.
The former Tennessee product hasn’t appeared on a football field since 2019. He chose to opt out in 2020, tore his Achilles in 2021, and has been cryogenically frozen on the Ravens bench ever since.
If Lawson could have picked any matchup to start a season, this would be it.
Throughout the 2022 season, the Jets will rely heavily upon their defensive line as the straw that stirs the drink for this team. That will be especially true in this contest.
The Jets are a prohibitive underdog and if you want to believe an upset is possible, Lawson will have to go off.
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