OXNARD, Calif. – The signing of Jordan Phillips is not an indictment of what Mazi Smith is doing in this camp.

The signing of Carl Lawson does not suggest that the Cowboys are worried about whether rookie Marshawn Kneeland is ready for prime time.

Signing two veterans with 194 combined games and 94 starts is what the coaching staff behind Smith and Kneeland didn’t see. It’s about adding depth. It’s about improving the run defense and making sure Micah Parsons’ ability to disrupt the game isn’t wasted because there aren’t enough options around him to get to the quarterback.

“I think the most important thing is experience,” head coach Mike McCarthy said of Lawson and Phillips. “These guys have played.”

“You have furs on the wall.”

A trade of late-round picks with the New York Giants landed Phillips on Wednesday night. Less than 12 hours later, the Cowboys continued the restructuring of their defensive line by signing Lawson. Both players are scheduled to arrive at the team’s training camp in Southern California on Thursday afternoon.

Defensive end Shaka Toney was released/injured and veteran nose tackle Carl Davis was released to make room for the new additions.

“I think our personnel department does a great job of keeping the roster competitive,” McCarthy said. “In training camp, your roster and player acquisition is always in flux. I think that’s really good for the D-line group.”

“We obviously have a new defensive system and the expectations of what we want to achieve there are different than in the past. That makes for a more competitive atmosphere.

“You can never have enough of it.”

Mike Zimmer held a press conference earlier this week. The Cowboys defensive coordinator was blunt, saying he hasn’t really figured out what the line looks like on the outside following Sam Williams’ season-ending injury. Zimmer added, “We’re looking for a couple of noses” on the inside.

Enter Phillips. He’s a big man (6’6″, 330 pounds) who started nine games for a good Buffalo defense last season. You may remember him from the Cowboys’ late-season clash with the Bills.

McCarthy does.

“Well, he had a sack and almost intercepted a ball, so, I mean, we talked about that today,” the Cowboys head coach said. “He played a little bit of football.

“We have people here who know him and believe he will be a good fit.”

This is the nose tackle’s 10th season in the NFL. During this time, he has recorded 24 sacks and 36 tackles for loss.

“Yeah, I know all about Jordan Phillips,” Smith said. “He’s made a lot of plays. If you can bring that into the room, as the saying goes, iron sharpens iron.

“That’s what you want. You want a room full of competition. You don’t want anyone chilling. Relaxed.

“This is football, you know what I mean.”

That’s what we do.

Lawson, Toney and Al-Quadin Muhammad all had tryouts with the Cowboys shortly after Williams’ injury on July 28. Lawson was the only one the club did not sign. Why?

It’s not hard to read between the lines. Lawson was demanding more than the club was willing to pay at that point.

“It’s like anything,” McCarthy said, declining to give details. “Every transaction and every opportunity has a business component. Timing always plays a role.”

“We were interested, he was interested, we had a connection and honestly I’m excited that we finally made it happen.”

Paul Guenther, the Cowboys’ defensive run game coordinator, was on Cincinnati’s staff when the Bengals drafted Lawson in 2017. Four years later, he signed a three-year, $45 million contract with the New York Jets.

A torn Achilles tendon robbed Lawson of his first season in New York. He came back strong the next season, but this time last year was plagued by back problems in training camp and lost his starting spot.

Lawson, who had 27 career sacks, did not handle the demotion well and fell out of favor, missing 11 games.

He will get another chance here.

The Cowboys are confident from what they’ve seen from Kneeland that the second-round pick can step in as a starter alongside DeMarcus Lawrence in Week 1. Lawson’s signing is expected to improve the rotation.

And the coaches are very pleased with Smith’s progress. But Phillips gives the Cowboys the formidable, experienced midfield presence they lost when Johnathan Hankins signed with Seattle as a free agent.

“It really boosts the competitive spirit,” McCarthy said. “We’re excited to have these guys with us.”

See David Moore with The Musers every Monday through Friday at 9:35am and on the Hardline every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 4:35pm on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM) during training camp.

Twitter: @DavidMooreDMN

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