The loss of Carl Lawson has forced the Jets to swing a deal for another Lawson.
New York is trading for Houston Texans edge rusher Shaq Lawson, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. The Jets are sending a 2022 sixth-round pick (which initially belonged to San Francisco) to Houston for the 27-year-old defensive end, per Rapoport.
A former first-round pick of the Bills, Lawson has never lived up to the expectations that came with his draft status. He's still served as a decent edge rusher, though, recording 20.5 sacks in five NFL seasons and forcing six fumbles.
His one-year stint in Miami last season led him to Houston, where he joined a collection of veterans playing on short-term deals. Lawson didn't last through the end of the preseason, though, instead being shipped back to New York to join his third AFC East team in his career.
Lawson provides help for a Jets defense that was counting on Carl Lawson to help generate a consistent pass rush. Those expectations became pipe dreams when Lawson suffered a season-ending Achilles injury a week ago.
In the Jets' first preseason game following Lawson's injury, they struggled to get after the passer, recording just four total quarterback pressures against Green Bay. It became evident to general manager Joe Douglas the Jets would need a reinforcement entering the regular season, and found one in a familiar former foe.
