After 11 seasons in Dallas, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence is in his first training camp in Seattle. And Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is loving what he’s seeing.
Macdonald said the effort Lawrence puts into each and every drill the coaches ask him to do is impressive, and a testament to how committed Lawrence is to having a big year in his 12th NFL season.
“He’s like the best drill player I’ve ever seen in my life,” Macdonald said of Lawrence. “You could ask him to do any drill known to mankind, and just the trust he has in why you’re doing it, it is 1,000 percent every rep. The intent of what he’s trying to create, and that’s the standard that he’s setting for our front, so the guys don’t have any choice but to fall in line. It’s just exciting to see him out there working. You know what he can do on the field, the tape speaks for itself, but you understand how it comes to life based on how he works.”
Macdonald said that some veteran players show up in new places wanting to do things the way they’ve always done them, or take snaps off to rest their bodies, but Lawrence is eager to work hard and do everything the coaches want him to do.
“That’s not DeMarcus. He’s really fun to work with,” Macdonald said.
The 33-year-old Lawrence got a three-year, $42 million contract from the Seahawks, an investment that the Seahawks believe will pay off not only with Lawrence’s play on the field, but with the impact he makes on the whole team in practice.