Lawson’s never been much of a pass rusher which is why he was never great as a former first round pick in San Francisco’s 3-4 as a rush linebacker. In a 4-3 as a strong side linebacker in Cincinnati, there’s a good chance he fares much better. If not, he should at least be a solid starter and keep the seat warm for rookie Dontay Moch and this was only a 3 million dollar deal for 1 year.

Grade: A