One offseason move each NFL team must make
Dallas Cowboys-Sign DE DeMarcus Lawrence Long-Term
After a breakout season with 14.5 sacks in 2017, the Cowboys franchise tagged Lawrence last offseason. He “only” had 10.5 sacks in 2018, but Pro Football Focus graded him the top-10 among edge defenders in the league again.
Dallas could franchise tag Lawrence again in March, with a 20 percent increase over last year ($20.56 million). Letting him hit the open market is an option, however unlikely it might be, or the most obvious option is signing Lawrence to long-term deal. The five-year, $85 million deal ($52 million guaranteed) Olivier Vernon got from the New York Giants a few years ago seems like a reasonable ask from Lawrence’s end.
The Cowboys posted a video on Twitter from Lawrence’s Pro Bowl season this past season. The defensive end’s simple response? “Your move.”
Franchised —-> Pro Bowl——-> Your move @dallascowboys 🤷🏿♂️ https://t.co/NbZU44k82G
— DeMarcus Lawrence (@TankLawrence) January 25, 2019
Lawrence recently had shoulder surgery, but it doesn’t appear to be a long-term concern.
Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence will have offseason shoulder surgery. He does not have a date set yet. “Just waiting on the doctor when I get back to tell me when he’s available.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) January 23, 2019
The ball is indeed in the Cowboys’ court regarding Lawrence, and with other contract extensions on the table this offseason he may fall down the list of priorities. But keeping the team’s best pass rusher in the fold, ideally for multiple more years, has to be prominent on the offseason agenda too.