In need of pass-rush help, the Dallas Cowboys are signing former Auburn standout Carl Lawson, the NFL team’s official website reported on Thursday.

Lawson has been an unrestricted free agent since March 13. He joins Dallas to provide depth behind defensive ends Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence.

Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams, a former Lee-Montgomery standout, tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee at practice on July 28.

Lawson worked out for Dallas after Williams’ injury. Dallas signed Shaka Toney instead, but the Cowboys placed Toney on injured reserve on Thursday after he sustained a groin injury in Dallas’ preseason opener.

Lawson became a forgotten player with the New York Jets in 2023. After starting every game for the Jets in 2022, Lawson played in only six games in 2023. With the emergence of 2022 first-round draft pick Jermaine Johnson and former St. Paul’s Episcopal standout Bryce Huff, Lawson played only 101 defensive snaps and did not record a sack or a quarterback hit last season.

After joining the Cincinnati Bengals from Auburn as a fourth-round choice in the 2017 NFL Draft, Lawson led the NFL’s first-year players with 8.5 sacks and made the Professional Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie team. Over the next two seasons, Lawson missed 13 games with injuries and totaled six sacks.

In his fourth season, Lawson recorded 5.5 sacks and ranked second in the NFL with 32 quarterback hits in 2020. That landed Lawson a three-year, $45 contract with the Jets as an unrestricted free agent.

But before he played a game for New York, Lawson suffered a torn Achilles tendon during a joint training-camp practice with the Green Bay Packers on Aug. 19, and the injury sidelined him for the 2021 NFL season.

In 2022, Lawson returned to record seven sacks and 24 quarterback hits.

The Cowboys play the second of their three regular-season games at 9 p.m. CDT Saturday against the Las Vegas Raiders. NFL Network will televise the game from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Dallas will open its regular-season schedule against the Cleveland Browns at 3:25 p.m. Sept. 8.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.