Dolphins Player Profile: DE Shaq Lawson

The Miami Dolphins brought in Shaq Lawson to help the pass rush, and logic says he'll be given every opportunity to succeed

As we continue through this offseason without minicamps, we'll be breaking down the players on the roster, review their 2019 performance and see how they fit for 2020.

We continue this series with defensive end Shaq Lawson.

How he got to Miami

Lawson joined the Dolphins as an unrestricted free agent this offseason after he spent his first four NFL seasons as a member of the Buffalo Bills, who made him a first-round pick in the 2016 draft. Lawson became a free agent in 2020 after the Bills declined to pick up the fifth-year option of his rookie contract.

Contract status

Lawson signed a three-year contract with the Dolphins worth $30 million with $21 million virtually guaranteed, according to overthecap.com. Lawson can become an unrestricted free agent after the 2022 season.

2019 season

On the defense that finished third in the league in total yards allowed, Lawson played in 15 games, though all of them as a backup. Lawson finished with a career-high 6.5 sacks, which was second on the Bills behind the 9.5 sacks of former Dolphins defensive tackle Jordan Phillips. Lawson did lead the way in quarterback hits with 18. Additionally, Lawson had two passes defensed and a forced fumble. Lawson played 47 of the Bills' defensive snaps, topping his previous career high of 43 percent. He had two tackles and a quarterback hit in Buffalo's overtime playoff loss against the Houston Texans. Lawson had his second career two-sack game against the Denver Broncos on Nov. 24 — the other came against the Dolphins in the 2018 season finale at Buffalo.

2020 outlook

Lawson, who turned 26 on June 17, was one of two edge rushers the Dolphins signed in free agency along with Emmanuel Ogbah, but it was Lawson who got the richer contract (Ogbah's deal was for two years and $15 million, according to spotrac.com.

Our 7th sack of the night, this time courtesy of Emmanuel Ogbah 🙌#KCvsDEN | 📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/DWs44glSVY

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) October 18, 2019

The two of them will be counted on to help a pass rush that was simply dreadful in 2019. The Dolphins were last in the NFL in sacks with 23, the franchise's lowest total for a 16-game season (though the 1987 Dolphins had 21 in 15 games).

Only one player on the team had more than 3.5 sacks and that was Taco Charlton, who had five but now is with the Kansas City Chiefs after being released in the offseason.

Lawson, who played with Christian Wilkins during his final season at Clemson in 2015, played in a 4-3 scheme the past three years but has experience as a 3-4 outside linebacker because that was the scheme used by Buddy Ryan in 2016.

After recording 12.5 sacks in his final season at Clemson, Lawson had 16.5 sacks in his four seasons with the Bills and his career high for tackles is 33 (in 11 games in 2017).

Brad Kaaya meet Shaq Lawson #CLEMvsMIA pic.twitter.com/OmLTYRnSEo

— Demetric D. Warren (@DemetricDWarren) October 24, 2015

Given the contract the Dolphins gave him, they clearly feel there's more production ahead for Lawson, and logic dictates he'll be given every opportunity to make that happen.

It's safe to expect Lawson to surpass his career high in defensive snaps, whether he's lining up at defensive end when the Dolphins have four linemen or as a standup rusher in a 3-4 look.