Cowboys' Lawrence undergoes back surgery

Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence recently underwent surgery to repair a back injury, head coach Jason Garrett confirmed Saturday.

"It was something that bothered him for a lot of the year," Garrett said, according to the team's official website. "He obviously played through it, but he was dealing with it a little bit."

The coach didn't disclose a timeline for Lawrence's return, but indicated the procedure isn't expected to leave him with a lengthy rehab process.

"We expect him to be back fairly soon," Garrett added. "We'll see. We don't want to put it definitively, but we think he's going to be OK."

Lawrence emerged as one of the Cowboys' most productive defenders in his second season after joining the team as a second-round pick, recording eight sacks and 55 tackles while appearing in all 16 games.

He and Randy Gregory, a 2015 second-round selection, give the defense a pair of young edge rushers to build around going forward.