Cowboys' DeMarcus Lawrence Recruiting J.J. Watt After Star's Release from Texans

The Dallas Cowboys' DeMarcus Lawrence sent a Twitter message to fellow defensive end J.J. Watt following his release from the Houston Texans on Friday:

Lawrence is seemingly seeking some help within the Cowboys' pass rush, which ranked 20th in the NFL with 31 sacks during the 2020 season. He led the team with 6.5 sacks. 

Watt, who announced a mutual parting with the Texans earlier Friday, hasn't been the dominant force he was earlier in his career over the past couple of years, but he's still probably going to generate ample interest.

The 31-year-old Wisconsin native has recorded nine sacks across 24 appears over the past two seasons. Those are solid numbers but nowhere close to his peak, when he tallied 69 sacks in a four-year span from 2012 through 2015. He won NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times during that run.

That track record combined with the fact he's coming off a season where he played all 16 games, a return to health after playing eight contests or less in three of the previous four years, will make him an attractive free-agent option for any contender.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are the most obvious option since he'd get to play alongside his brother, outside linebacker T.J. Watt, in the team's front seven on a team coming off a 12-4 campaign.

Signing with Dallas would allow him to remain in Texas and the Green Bay Packers are another possible landing spot for a return to Wisconsin, but the five-time Pro Bowl selection will probably hear from no shortage of teams now that he's on the open market.

Lawrence is trying to beat the rush by reaching out to Watt on social media in the hours after his release.