DeMarcus Lawrence pens farewell to Cowboys after signing free agent deal with Seahawks

DeMarcus Lawrence’s decade-long run with the Dallas Cowboys came to a close this week as the veteran pass rusher signed with the Seattle Seahawks during free agency. Before he embarks on this next chapter of his NFL career, Lawrence did post a farewell to the organization that drafted him way back in 2014.

“I have had the honor and privilege to wear the star and call myself a Dallas Cowboy for my entire NFL career,” Lawrence said in a farewell posted to social media on Saturday. “There has never been a moment since the day Jerry Jones called to draft me that I haven’t loved every person in the Dallas community, every fan that supports the Cowboys across the world, and every player, coach and staff member of that incredible organization.

“I never truly believed that the day would come when I would go and sign with another team. We had always hoped that my family and I would get to finish our careers as Cowboys. Sadly it just wasn’t meant to be.

“A new chapter begins. I leave for Seattle with excitement, the same passion for the game l love, and determination to prove my way of football to a new organization and fan base. I can’t wait to play for the 12s and lead the Seahawks to victory. This is not the end of my life as a Dallas Cowboy or North Texas resident but it is a new beginning and chapter for me and my family. I hope you hold us in your prayers and wish us well on our next journey, and we will see you soon. 90 out!”

This official goodbye is a little different from Lawrence’s prior comments upon signing with Seattle that seemed to jab his now former club. Speaking of his departure, Lawrence said, in part, that he knew “for sure I’m not gonna win a Super Bowl” in Dallas, seemingly ribbing the Cowboys for their 30-year championship drought.

That comment then sparked a spat with current Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons, who said, “This is what rejection and envy look like! This some clown shit!” In response, Lawrence said, “Calling me a clown won’t change the fact that I told the truth. Maybe if you spent less time tweeting and more time winning, I wouldn’t have left.”

So, as much as Lawrence’s official farewell post does call back to the good times he had throughout his tenure, there does seem to be a bit of a sour note to his departure as well.

Lawrence was limited to four games last season due to a foot injury, but still was able to land a three-year deal from Seattle, which is reportedly worth up to $42 million with $18 million guaranteed.

Chiefs re-signing veteran WR JuJu Smith-Schuster to one-year deal, per report

The Kansas City Chiefs are keeping a familiar face around Arrowhead Stadium. The club has re-signed veteran wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to a one-year deal, according to NFL Media. The financial parameters that’ll keep the 28-year-old pass catcher in K.C. were not immediately disclosed.

Smith-Schuster is in the midst of his second stint with the Chiefs, initially signing with the club as a free agent in March 2022. That year, he helped the club win Super Bowl LVII and tallied 933 yards receiving during the regular season.

Following his release from the New England Patriots at the beginning of August last summer, the wideout returned to Kansas City just before the start of the regular season. He then appeared in 14 games (eight starts) during the regular season, catching 18 of his 26 targets for 231 yards and two touchdowns. During the Chiefs playoff run to Super Bowl LIX, Smith-Schuster added four catches for 76 yards over three games.

Full list of team-by-team signings and trades, plus updates on every move

Full list of team-by-team signings and trades, plus updates on every move

The new NFL league year kicked off Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, but the chaos of the offseason was in full swing well before that.

We had stars receive franchise tags (Tee Higgins and Trey Smith), Pro Bowlers get traded (Geno Smith, Deebo Samuel and DK Metcalf), franchise quarterbacks receive pay raises (Matthew Stafford and Josh Allen), All-Pro edge rushers land record-breaking extensions (Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett) and a whole lot more. And all of that was before the NFL’s legal tampering period began at noon ET on Monday!

Once teams were able to negotiate with other clubs’ impending three agents, several high-profile deals were almost immediately agreed to. The biggest ones on Monday were the Seahawks signing Sam Darnold to a three-year contract worth $100.5 million and the Jets signing Justin Fields to a two-year deal worth $40 million. Elsewhere on Day 1, the Patriots added several key defenders for new head coach Mike Vrabel, the Texans traded their star left tackle to the Commanders and the Browns acquired a former first-round quarterback from the Eagles.

Day 2 brought even more movement, headlined by quarterback Daniel Jones signing with the Colts on a one-year deal worth $14 million. Meanwhile, the Vikings spent big for guard Will Fries and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen while the Texans traded away yet another former first-round offensive lineman, this time sending Kenyon Green to the Eagles for safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Then on Tuesday night, the Bills bolstered their pass rush with Joey Bosa and the Ravens added a contested-catch standout in DeAndre Hopkins. Things have slowed down the past two days but there are still many big-name free agents to be had, including Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson.

From blockbuster moves to bargain-bin shopping, we’ve got you covered below with a running tracker of every team’s 2024 additions, including external signings and trade acquisitions. For more info on all the free agency deals and rumors, click here.