Cowboys news: DeMarcus Lawrence heads to Seattle, multiple linebacker additions

The latest news surrounding the Dallas Cowboys.

Cowboys lose DeMarcus Lawrence: Four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher departs Dallas after 11 NFL seasons – Garrett Podell, CBS Sports

Another Pro Bowler from the Cowboys’ 2014 draft class won’t be wearing the star anymore.

The Dallas Cowboys’ longest-tenured remaining player is on the move. Four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence is signing a three-year contract with the Seattle Seahawks worth up to $42 million with $18 million guaranteed, per NFL Media.

The Cowboys selected Lawrence in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, and he proceeded to rack up 61.5 sacks in his 11 seasons in Dallas. Unfortunately, his 2024 season cut short by a foot injury he suffered on “Thursday Night Football” at the New York Giants in Week 4. There was a slim chance he was going to attempt to suit up for Dallas last season, but once a five-game losing streak killed its hopes at postseason contention, Lawrence shut it down for the year.

Despite only totaling 27.5 sacks since 2019, Lawrence remains a strong defender setting the edge in the run game.

He’ll reunite with a familiar face in Seattle in defensive coordinator Aden Durde, who worked as the Cowboys defensive line coach from 2021 to 2023 under Dan Quinn. Lawrence will line up alongside Pro Bowl edge rusher Leonard Williams, 2024 first-round defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, recently re-signed defensive tackle Jarran Reed and veteran edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu.

Lawrence joins a Seahawks defense that was the league’s 11th-best scoring unit, allowing 21.6 points per game.

Watch: Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb shares live reaction to DeMarcus Lawrence’s Dallas departure – SportsDay Staff

CeeDee Lamb learning about Lawrence signing with Seattle was caught in real time.

It appears CeeDee Lamb was caught off guard by the news of a longtime teammate’s departure.

The Cowboys receiver was on a live stream with YouTuber N3on when he found out DeMarcus Lawrence would continue his playing career in Seattle. The veteran pass rusher agreed to a three-year deal with the Seahawks, his agent announced on social media.

Lamb seemed shocked when viewers on the live stream’s chat told him Lawrence’s time in Dallas was ending.

“D-Law to Seahawks… woah,” Lamb said. “He’s gone.

“I gotta hit my man up.”

Lamb and Lawrence played together in Dallas for the last five seasons. Lawrence, a Boise State product, became a well-known name in Dallas since joining the franchise as a second-round draftee in 2014.

The pass rusher posted 450 total tackles, 126 quarterback hits, 97 tackles for loss and 61.5 sacks in his 11-year Dallas tenure. His 2024 season was shortened due to a foot injury sustained in Week 4.

Cowboys agree to terms on trade for Titans LB Kenneth Murray – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com

While players have left Dallas, a new ones have been coming on board.

FRISCO, Texas – In their second trade of the day, the Cowboys have agreed to terms to send a sixth-round pick (188th overall) to the Tennessee Titans for linebacker Kenneth Murray and a seventh-round pick (239th overall).

Murray, 26, has played five seasons in the NFL. Four of those were spent with the Los Angeles Chargers, and then Murray signed a two-year deal with the Titans ahead of the 2024 season.

In his first and only year in Tennessee, Murray put together 95 tackles, eight tackles for loss, an interception and a career high 3.5 sacks. He was a team captain for the Titans in started in all 14 games he played in.

Over the course of four years with the Chargers, Murray started in 53 of the 59 games he played in and tallied 321 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, five sacks and two interceptions.

Murray led the Chargers in tackles in his rookie season with 107 in 2020 earning him a spot on the PFWA All-Rookie team, and finished with 107 once again in 2023, good for third on the team behind Derwin James Jr. (125) and Eric Kendricks (117). Kendricks played middle linebacker for the Cowboys in 2024 and is now an unrestricted free agent.

In three seasons at Oklahoma, Murray was named the Big 12 conference Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2017, followed it up with a second-team All-Big 12 nomination in 2018, and finished as a first-team All-Big 12 player in 2019.

The Chargers selected Murray with the 23rd overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, making him the fourth former first round pick that Dallas has added thus far in the 2025 offseason. Murray joins former Bills cornerback Kaiir Elam, former Jets defensive lineman Soloman Thomas, and former Saints defensive end Payton Turner.

Free agency: Cowboys add rising Bears LB; reunite him with Matt Eberflus, position coach – Todd Brock, USA Today

Jack Sanborn was the second linebacker Dallas added on Wednesday.

The Cowboys, frequently accused of going dark during the NFL offseason, have wasted no time this year in making a promising upgrade to a worrisome position group.

Just minutes into the official start of free agency, the team has reportedly come to an agreement with former Bears linebacker Jack Sanborn. That news was posted Wednesday afternoon to social media by ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler.

Sanborn went undrafted out of Wisconsin in 2022 and went on to not only make Chicago’s final roster but become a starter before Thanksgiving of his rookie year. Although an ankle injury ended his season early, he showed enough to be named to PFF’s All-Rookie Team and was honored with the Bears’ annual Brian Piccolo Award for 2022.

The Illinois native played in every game over the past two seasons, starting 13 of 34. He spent more time on special teams than on defense, however, never topping 38% of the defense’s snaps in any of his three seasons in Chicago. To contrast, Sanborn was in on 84% of the Bears’ special teams plays in 2024.

The buzz out of Chicago was that Sanborn was a player on the rise, and it seems two of his former coaches agree with that assessment.

The 24-year-old will be reunited with Matt Eberflus, his head coach in Chicago- now the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator- as well as Dave Borgonzi, the Bears linebackers coach who will serve the same role in Dallas.