There is hope on the DeMarcus Lawrence front, the most there’s been in Dallas all week. While the soon-to-be 30-year-old is one of the team’s defensive leaders, he also represents one of the club’s fattest contracts. In an effort to get under the salary cap for 2022, the Cowboys reportedly went to Lawrence and asked him to take a pay cut in order to help the front office in the bookkeeping department.
When Lawrence refused, a release of the former second-round draft pick seemed imminent. For Cowboys fans, the week that followed has felt like waiting for the other shoe to drop.
But one longtime Cowboys reporter suggests that the shoe is going to be put back on and re-laced nice and tight. Ed Werder of ESPN revealed in a tweet that, as per a team source, the two-time Pro Bowler “isn’t going anywhere.”
Three player updates from #Cowboys source with #NFL FA approaching: “Demarcus Lawrence isn’t going anywhere.” Team still working on Amari Cooper options while hoping a new contract for Michael Gallup is soon finished.
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) March 11, 2022
Werder also confirmed the consensus opinions on wideouts Cooper and Gallup: that the former could be dealt via trade with a willing partner, and inking the latter to a new pact is on the team’s to-do list.
But it’s that rather definitive statement on Lawrence’s status that feels like the real news.
Fellow defensive ends Randy Gregory and Dorance Armstrong are currently set to hit the open market in a matter of days. While their respective returns to the Cowboys are also up in the air, it’s almost unfathomable to think that the team would allow all three edge rushers to leave Dallas and force defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to do a from-scratch rebuild of half his front line immediately after convincing him to not take a head coaching job elsewhere.
Werder’s report could indicate that the Cowboys, thanks to restructured deals on Dak Prescott and Zack Martin, feel more comfortable about hitting their cap number and will honor Lawrence’s contract as is. Or the front office might simply restructure his deal, too, and worry about the future cap hit in a few years, when cap finances will have changed for all 32 NFL clubs.
Lawrence is just one moving part that the Cowboys front office is attending to these days. But for now, at least, Cowboys fans can have a little more faith that that part will continue to do its job as part of the larger machine.
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