Demarcus Lawrence was the Cowboys best player last season, but he is arguably one of the worst players to have ever put on a Dallas jersey. The Cowboys are dangerously close to being out of playoff contention and they might be better off letting him go in favor for drafting a defensive tackle later this month.
The “demarcus lawrence contract” is a topic that has been in the news recently. Dallas Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence just set the stage for his release, but he will still be paid handsomely.
The Dallas Cowboys are facing a difficult offseason in which cost-cutting will be crucial. Amari Cooper, the experienced wide receiver, is expected to be released to free up salary cap room. As Dallas tries to free up cash, more actions like these are expected to come.
Last season, the Cowboys’ roster was as terrific on paper as it was on paper, but they didn’t show up when it mattered most. This offseason, not only must adjustments be made, but also improvements must be made.
When you’re $20 million or more above the wage limit, it’s a difficult situation to be in.
Defensive end Demarcus Lawrence was asked to accept a wage reduction by the Cowboys.
Mitchell Leff/Getty Images Demarcus Lawrence
For numerous seasons, Demarcus Lawrence has been the Cowboys’ top pass rusher. However, it wasn’t until 2021 that NFL fans began to see symptoms of the experienced defensive end’s decline.
Lawrence missed ten games due to injuries, and in the seven games he did participate, he only had 3.0 sacks. In 2021, Micah Parsons and Randy Gregory were both much superior pass rushers than Lawrence.
Many people believe Lawrence has a good chance of making a comeback in 2022. The bad news for Dallas is that his 2022 salary is expected to be $27 million. That’s the Cowboys’ second-highest cap amount, directly behind quarterback Dak Prescott.
The Cowboys reportedly contacted Lawrence about accepting a wage reduction, since they still need money for the summer. They did not get the response they had hoped for.
According to sources close to CBS Sports, the team’s front staff recently requested the All-Pro pass rusher to take a wage reduction for 2022, but Lawrence kindly (or maybe not so gently) rejected. Lawrence is set to earn a base salary of $19 million next season, and the Cowboys are trying to free up tens of millions of dollars to aid their free agency plan, which could include tagging either tight end Dalton Schultz or defensive end Randy Gregory. However, Lawrence also knows there’s an easy option the team could take that would gain them millions of dollars toward the cap without having to cut off his direct deposits.
CBS Sports’ Patrik Walker
Demarcus Lawrence is currently a leading contender for release.
#NFL Players Rumored to be on the Trade/Cut Block…
Amari Cooper, Andy Isabella, Cole Beasley, DeMarcus Lawrence, DeMarcus Lawrence, DeMarcus Lawrence, DeMarcus Lawrence, DeMarcus Lawrence, DeMarcus Lawrence, DeMarcus Lawrence, Bradberry, James Jarvis Landry, Nelson Agholor, and Robby Anderson are all wide receivers.
The WR market is stacked on all sides (trade, free agent, draft).
— Spotrac (@spotrac) March 7, 2022
Lawrence has officially rejected Dallas’ proposal to accept a wage reduction, so the Cowboys’ next logical move is to consider dismissing the veteran pass rusher.
By cutting Lawrence after June 1st, the Cowboys will save $19 million in salary (plus a $8 million dead cap hit). Given Lawrence’s lackluster sack totals last season and Dallas’ precarious financial position, this looks to be a rather simple choice for the head management to make.
Lawrence has been an important part of the Dallas defense for almost a decade. A negative cap scenario, on the other hand, always compels clubs to make difficult choices, such as this one.
Randy Gregory will most likely be the focus of the Cowboys’ attention.
.@ShannonSharpe on how big of a loss Amari Cooper and DeMarcus Lawrence is for the Cowboys:
“We didn’t see the maturation of Dak Prescott until he got Amari. On the defensive side, this was the best D Law I’ve seen in a while. It’s going to hurt and they might lose more.” pic.twitter.com/ky5eG2SrCn
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) March 7, 2022
With Cooper and Lawrence expected to be released in the next days/weeks, the Cowboys are expected to focus on defensive end Randy Gregory.
They’ve already begun contract negotiations with wide receiver Michael Gallup, who will be expected to fill the vacuum created by Cooper’s departure. If Gregory is brought back to permanently replace Lawrence, he may face a similar question.
In any case, the Cowboys are expected to lose two of their most recognizable players this offseason because to budgetary constraints. It’s never a good idea to be in that situation.
Pro Football Reference provided all stats.
The Cowboys reportedly want Randy Gregory to take a ‘Hometown Discount,’ according to reports.
The “demarcus lawrence stats” is a football player that the Dallas Cowboys released. The team has been struggling to find a way to replace him.
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