The Cowboys expect to have DeMarcus Lawrence s

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igned to a long-term deal before the July 15 deadline. They hope to have Randy Gregory reinstated from an indefinite suspension before the start of the season.Nothing , though, is guaranteed.So the Cowboys pulled the trigger on a trade for Robert Quinn, giving up a sixth-round pick in 2020 to Miami.“Obviously, defensive line with our challenges we’ve had with Randy — I think Randy is back on it and really doing a great job of getting himself in a position where hopefully he can get back at some point and help us out — but with that unknown being there, and of course, having the same situation with David Irving,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told the team website. “We, of course, don’t have DeMarcus Lawrence signed yet either. We really felt like we needed to shore that up. DLaw, of course, comes off that left spot , and the right end spot having a question mark is a big deal to us.“Certainly, Robert probably has a few more skins than Randy. He’s been in the league quite a bit longer. But it’s real important as we all know to get pressure on the passer. Really felt like he fit our system. We were fortunate the Dolphins are moving to a 3-4 scheme down there, which really doesn’t fit what Robert does. It just so happened there was a good opportunity there. I think he really fits Rod [Marinelli] and what he’s all about. I think Randy really felt it’d be a good way for him — he wanted to play under a one-year deal — to get with Rod and felt like he could really flourish at the right end spot in our scheme.” Jones, who said earlier this week the Cowboys were at an impasse with Lawrence, said the acquisition of Quinn does not affect their negotiations with Lawrence. “No, we’re motivated to get this deal done with DeMarcus Lawrence,” Jones said. “He’s obviously a guy who’s been here, home-grown, who plays the game the way we like to see the game played. Obviously, he’s learned under Rod, and he plays the way Rod would like to see a defensive lineman play. He’ll come off that left side , and Robert Quinn coming off the right with Randy, and mixing a few of them down inside, is nothing but a positive for us.” Miami Dolphins rookie and New Jersey native Minkah Fitzpatrick is ready for a rowdy reception returning to his home turf Sunday, when his team plays the New York Jets."I grew up in that environment, everybody loving the game up there," Fitzpatrick said Wednesday. "Going back up there, I know what I'm walking into. I know how crazy it's going to be."But Fitzpatrick never attended an NFL game growing up, and in fact had never seen a pro game until Sunday, when he helped the Dolphins beat the Tennessee Titans 27-20.It was a memorable debut for multiple reasons. Thanks to lightning delays, the game lasted more than seven hours and was the league's longest since at least 1970.And Fitzpatrick played well. He made six tackles, including a goal-line stop in the open field on fourth down."My first big play in the NFL — you dream about those moments ," he said. "Seeing all my teammates and the whole crowd go crazy, it was awesome. It's definitely something I'm not going to forget."After three seasons at Alabama, Fitzpatrick was accustomed to big games, and he reported no butterflies leading up to his NFL debut."I wouldn't say I was nervous," he said. "I was just really excited to be playing."That was the case with the Dolphins' entire rookie class, coach Adam Gase said. The other draft picks who played were tight ends Mike Gesicki and Durham Smythe, linebacker Jerome Baker, and placekicker Jason Sanders."I felt like they were all very loose before we started the game," Gase said. "It seemed like everybody was playing fast."It's going to probably take some time to see how everybody fits in and what their roles become. We've got an idea, but I don't think we really got as good of a flow offensively as we wanted. Defensively I think the young guys did a good job. It seemed like they were around the ball quite a bit."Fitzpatrick, taken 11th in the draft , knows accolades from his debut will be brief, including Wednesday's team film session that replayed his goal-line tackle."Everybody just said, 'Good job, rook,' and then we kept it moving," he said.For the Dolphins it's on to the Jets, who stunned Detroit 48-17 in their opener behind rookie quarterback Sam Darnold .Fitzpatrick recalls playing in college against Darnold, who came off the bench for Southern Cal and saw brief action when both were sophomores. The Trojans lost 52-6, but Fitzpatrick's not about to take Darnold lightly."He was drafted high for a reason," Fitzpatrick said. "And he's starting for a reason. He's going to be a challenge for us."AP NFL website: pro32.ap.org and ://AP_NFLFollow Steven Wine on Twitter: ://Steve_Wine. His work can be found at ://bigstory.ap.org/content/steven-wine

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