Lawson to Jets

The Jets have agreed to a 3-year, $45 million deal with EDGE Carl Lawson, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The contract includes $30 million guaranteed. Lawson hasn't gotten back to the 8.5 sacks he posted as a 2017 rookie and managed just 5.5 last year. But he has delivered plenty of pass-rushing production behind that low sack total. His 64 total pressures in 2020 ranked 6th among all defensive players, according to Pro Football Focus. Lawson should improve a Jets pass rush that posted the 8th-worst pressure rate last season, according to Pro Football Reference. We'll see whether Lawson keeps DE eligibility in the defense of new Jets HC Robert Saleh.

Jets DE Carl Lawson confirmed Thursday afternoon that he tore his left Achilles' tendon. That obviously means he'll miss this season, his 1st with the Jets after arriving in free agency. We'll see about Lawson next offseason, heading into his age-27 campaign. Expect Vinny Curry and John Franklin-Myers to run as the top 2 edge players for the Jets now.

Jets DE Carl Lawson left the practice field on a cart Thursday after suffering a left leg injury, according to Connor Hughes of The Athletic. Hughes reports that "the entire field was silent when Lawson went down." That doesn't sound good for the 26-year-old big-money free-agent addition. We'll watch for a diagnosis. For now, don't draft Lawson in your IDP league.

Update: NFL Network is reporting that Lawson is getting an MRI on his left Achilles' tendon and that he felt a "pop" when he went down. We're removing him from the rankings for now, as we await a firm diagnosis.

The Bengals plan to play rookie Carl Lawsons at strong-side LB half the time and pass rusher "most likely on the edge" the other half, DC Paul Guenther told the team website this week. The 4th-round pick could push for immediate playing time in that role. Cincinnati sports a crowd of options at LB, but former MLB starter Rey Maualuga is gone. So is 2016 OLB starter Karlos Dansby. The rush role will help Lawson's IDP upside and makes him an interesting late flier for dynasty rookie drafts.