Lawrence on short-term IR; Dallas signs DL

The Dallas Cowboys placed rookie defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence on the short-term injured reserve list, meaning he will miss the first eight games of the season.

The Cowboys signed defensive lineman Jack Crawford, who was cut last week by the Oakland Raiders, to take Lawrence’s place on the roster.

The 6-foot-5, 275-pound Crawford, who played in 19 games and had 18 tackles for the Raiders over the last two seasons, is primarily a defensive end but has the versatility to also play tackle. He caught the Cowboys’ eye during the joint practices between Dallas and Oakland at training camp.

The Cowboys traded up to draft Lawrence with the 34th overall pick early in the second round because they identified him as the last available edge pass-rusher in the draft ready to make an immediate impact, a glaring need after Dallas released DeMarcus Ware, the franchise’s all-time sacks leader. But Lawrence broke his right foot while being blocked by Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith early in training camp and had to undergo surgery.

Dallas opted to use its lone short-term injured reserve spot on Lawrence. He will be ineligible to practice for six weeks.