Being an elite NFL player is tough because it requires an ever-evolving skill set. Role players can get away with a static skill set, whereas the elite ones need to constantly improve their skill set to maintain their elite status. Every offseason, players and coaches take deep dives into the film to figure out how to combat or stymie the best talents in the NFL.

This is exactly what went down at OL Masterminds in Frisco, Texas last week - a summit to improve offensive line play and exchange techniques. Before the summit, The Athletic's Brandon Thorn created a presentation on Lawrence's best moves and the best practices to stop them. During the summit, Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson also specifically discussed how to slow down Dallas Cowboys star defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, which he's had more success doing than almost any other OL in the NFL:

Really interesting #OLMasterminds film study of Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence and how he challenges tackles to bite on his fakes pic.twitter.com/ia7eGOGBbW — Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) July 12, 2019

The best players in the NFL must enhance their skill set each and every offseason to thwart opposing teams' efforts to combat their skill set. Players and coaches all around the league are devising new ways to stop, beat or defend the top talent in the NFL.

With back-to-back double-digit sack seasons and a new $105 million contract, it's safe to say that Lawrence has ascended into the elite NFL player. In the past, Lawrence didn't have the history of production to merit being the subject of offseason studies by opposing players, but as Johnson proved above, he definitely does now.

When a player receives a high dollar contract, there are always questions as to whether the player will stay motivated enough to continue to hone in on and improve their craft. Even though it's still early, Lawrence seems as motivated and hungry to improve as ever.

Even though this offseason has been littered with distractions - from the contract talk to offseason shoulder surgery that may cause Lawrence to start training camp on the PUP list - Lawrence has somehow found the time (and requisite health) to add new tools to his already impressive pass rush repertoire.

It's been great to watch DLaw mature & develop as a pass rusher. Used to be mostly effective with arm-over moves but this has been his signature rush in 2017.



Cross-chop club to clear hands. Notice how he starts turning hips mid air so he can take a tight angle to flatten to QB pic.twitter.com/YvEA7CyaZK — John Owning (@JohnOwning) December 1, 2017

Everyone who is even remotely familiar with Lawrence knows that his signature pass rush move is the cross chop (above clip). Lawrence uses subtle footwork, outstanding timing, great body control and powerful hands to set up and effectively execute the cross chop on any given rush (read this more a more in-depth look at Lawrence's cross chop).

If we all know that the cross chop is Lawrence's signature move, you can bet that each and every offensive lineman he faces this season will know it too, necessitating Lawrence to expand his pass rush repertoire this offseason. Here's a great example (h/t to Coach Brandon Jordan for the video):

While there is no official name (yet) for the move Lawrence is applying above, some coaches have begun to call it an arm drag (0:22 of the video) - as it bears a close resemblance to the grappling technique of the same name.

DeMarcus Lawrence dominates with the details. Uses his best move, the cross chop, here. Fantastic timing, placement & footwork, but what I like most is how he covers the RT's right elbow with his left hand after using the cross chop to prevent RT from recovering his outside hand. pic.twitter.com/1jOwwyzlbz — John Owning (@JohnOwning) May 4, 2019

To the casual fan, this move may appear to be the same as the cross chop, but there are a few stark differences.

Lawrence executes the cross chop when he moves his inside hand across his body to forcefully chop down the right tackle's outside hand (it can also be done to the inside where the outside hand comes across the body to chop down the blocker's inside hand) -- thus the name cross chop.

In the arm drag, the hands take similar paths of motion but are placed and used in different ways. While the inside hand first makes contact on the cross chop move, it's actually the outside hand that makes first contact on the arm drag, as its job primarily is to guide the blocker's outside arm across his body.

After that, the inside arm stays low (underneath the shoulder line) and latches onto the tackles' elbow/triceps area on his outside arm. From there, the inside arm pulls the blocker's arm across his body, which 1) pulls himself hip-to-hip with blocker, forcing him to 'open the gate,' or turn his shoulders perpendicular to the line of scrimmage to defend (which is always advantageous for the pass rusher), and 2) prevents the blocker from retracting his hand, ending any opportunity for the blocker to recover or re-fit his hands.

Moreover, keeping the inside elbow tight is one of the most important coaching points, as it enables the pass rusher to efficiently turn a tight corner toward the QB.

If you're still confused, an easy way to differentiate between the cross chop and arm drag moves is if the inside hand lands over the top of the blocker's arm, it's a cross chop, and if the inside hand lands underneath the blocker's outside arm, it's an arm drag.

The real genius behind Lawrence adding the arm drag into his pass rush repertoire is that it can be set up in the exact same way as the cross chop. Therefore, when a blocker anticipates Lawrence using his cross chop, he will likely focus on countering Lawrence's inside hand (the hand that makes first contact on a cross chop). In theory, with the blocker focusing on Lawrence's outside hand, it should make it easier for the arm drag, where he makes contact with the outside hand first.

The addition of the arm drag technique into his pass rush repertoire not only creates an effective counter to his signature move, but - much to the chagrin of offensive linemen around the league -- it should also make him a more dangerous and productive pass rusher overall.

Enjoy this post? More film studies:

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-- 3 second-year Cowboys who will soar in 2019, including one not-so-obvious candidate

Twitter: @JohnOwning