FRISCO, Texas -- In order to earn one of the highest-paid contracts for a pass-rusher, DeMarcus Lawrence needed 25 sacks in a two-year span (2017-18) for the Dallas Cowboys.
Since securing a five-year, $105 million contract in April 2019, Lawrence has 9.5 sacks in 29 games, but his value has not dipped.
It's quite a transformation.
When Lawrence, 28, arrived to the Cowboys as a second-round pick in the 2014 NFL draft, it was hoped he would replace DeMarcus Ware's pass-rushing ability. In his first three seasons, he had nine sacks with eight coming during the 2015 season. He had more back surgeries (two) before and after the 2016 season than he had sacks (one) in that season.
When he exploded for 14.5 sacks in 2017, the Cowboys were so unsure about Lawrence they used the franchise tag on him the following year, fearful he might be a one-hit wonder. He responded with his second Pro Bowl season in 2018 and had 10.5 sacks.
The Cowboys then signed him to the mega-contract that included a franchise-record $65 million guaranteed in 2019.
But don't judge Lawrence by his sack totals alone. Judge his total game.
"The word impact is probably a better valuation platform to work off of," Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said. "Does he impact the game for not only individual production but the ability to make the players better around him? ... He's an impact-type player. What you don't want is you don't want players that play for individual statistics, because there's so much more to the game."
Would the Cowboys have paid Lawrence without him racking up 25 sacks over two seasons? Doubtful. That's just how business works. Would Lawrence's agent have touted his client's ability to play the run and his quarterback pressures as the reason the Cowboys needed to pony up the cash? Not quite. The sacks matter, but they don't tell the complete story of a player's value.
Former Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli used to rave about Lawrence's work ethic and ability to play the run when he was his coach for six seasons. Lawrence played hurt, including through a shoulder injury that eventually required surgery after he signed the big contract. This season, he has played 13 games with a balky knee.
"I'm not doing good unless we're winning. I'm a competitor," Lawrence said. "I don't go out there for the glory of stats. I go out there for the glory of a win and the achievement that I make with my teammates. If I wanted to worry about my stats, I'd go play tennis. That's for all the spectators and the people playing video games to worry about. For me, my focus is about winning."
Lawrence did not have a sack in Sunday's Week 14 win against the Cincinnati Bengals, but he made a key play that set a tone for a defense that was ravaged six days earlier by the Baltimore Ravens to the tune of 294 rushing yards. On the second play from scrimmage, Lawrence raced up field, changed direction after a handoff to Cincinnati's Giovani Bernard and forced the running back's first fumble in 829 carries, which had been the longest streak in the NFL without a fumble. The Cowboys scored a field goal off the takeaway and the defense forced two more fumbles on Cincinnati's next two possessions that were turned into 10 more points for a 17-0 lead.
"Big-time players make those kind of plays that can send the game in a different direction," McCarthy said.
For this season, Lawrence's 4.5 sacks are tied for 50th in the NFL but his six tackles for loss lead the Cowboys, as do his 28 quarterback pressures. He is tied for the team lead with three forced fumbles. He has been credited with 44 tackles.
Sacks are the most noticeable stat for pass-rushers, but Cowboys coordinator Mike Nolan has not seen Lawrence chase sacks to hurt the overall concept of the defense.
"The way DeMarcus plays is without question a great example to anyone else that does play. He plays hard every down," Nolan said. "He is a tone-setter. He is in every game. He's a great example for the other guys. I would expect that. That's D-Law's makeup. I don't ever question his finish, nor do I question his effort or the importance it is to him."
In ESPN's pass rush win rate metric, Lawrence ranks sixth in the NFL. He has won 23.1% of pass rushes. Only Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt, Buffalo's Jerry Hughes, Cleveland's Myles Garrett, Joey Bosa of the Los Angeles Chargers and Carolina's Brian Burns have a better percentage among edge players.
In the run stop win rate metric for edge players, Lawrence ranks 11th.
"I don't play this game and think about, 'OK, I need to go out here and get a sack,'" Lawrence said. "If you play the game like that, then basically you're leaving your team out to dry. If I'm running up field and they do a run play through the B gap now, the tackle only has to not meet up field and go straight to the linebacker, and now it's a clear hole to a touchdown. So I really think about doing my job.
"Whatever positions the coaches put me in I'm going to make sure I play that position damn well, or probably the best at that position and try to do whatever it takes to help my team win. I'm not here for numbers. I'm here to win a Super Bowl."