The DeMarcus Lawrence contract drama is about to be over. We heard earlier today he was nearing a deal with the Cowboys, and now it’s more or less official.
Lawrence and the Cowboys have an agreement in place that will pay him more than $100MM over the course of a five-year extension, sources told Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link). Rapoport writes that they’ve “agreed on basic parameters of a deal.” Garafolo posted in a follow-up tweet that Lawrence will indeed be getting more than $20MM annually. Rapoport soon noted in a tweet that it’ll be worth $105MM total.
Just a few days ago we heard talks were at an “impasse,” so things clearly progressed quickly. Last month, Lawrence reportedly upped his asking price to $22.5MM annually, and it sounds like he got close to it. Cowboys exec Stephen Jones had previously said that Lawrence’s desire to get paid like Aaron Donald and Von Miller was holding up negotiations, and he indicated that the Cowboys wouldn’t cave from their asking price.
Lawrence might not be getting as much as the top couple of guys, but he apparently is breaking a record. Lawrence “will get the most money in Year 1 for a defensive player ever,” Garafolo tweets. The previous record, Garafolo notes, was held by Khalil Mack, who got $31MM in the first year of his deal.
It also sounds like a huge portion of Lawrence’s contract will be guaranteed. Albert Breer of SI.com chimed in a with a tweet noting the deal “will set new benchmarks for defensive players in percentage of a multi-year deal fully guaranteed, and percentage in total guarantees.” Todd Archer of ESPN.com later tweeted that $65MM of the deal will be guaranteed.
Feel like they’re gonna regret this one depending on the guaranteed money
Jerry- I immediately regret mydecision
It’s a 3 year deal at 65mil. The last 40mil is not guaranteed. It’s 31mil this year and 34 mil over next two years. That 17mil a year for year 2 and 3. He’ll be a free agent at 30 years old.
That’s assuming the Cowboys don’t rework his deal to clear some cap space. Considering the Cowboys affinity for reworking deals to create short term space at the cost of long term space they might have to hold onto him for an extra year than they probably prefer.
doesn’t seem like he might want to rework it after his extended holdout for the extra cash.
reworking it doesn’t mea. he puts off getting money. He would get the money upfront and Dallas would spread out the cap hit
Please someone tell me how this doesn’t prove the cowboys are one of the worst incompetent teams in the league. He literally bent them over and had his way. The guy is injury prone, we don’t know if he’ll even be the same after this surgery and the cowboys still thought it’d be a good idea to give him 100m+ ridiculous.
Cowboys just got donkey punched right in the jimmy johns
Skins are by far more poorly ran. Eagles must be laughing. Giants, well TBD.
You must be a Giants fan if you think Giants are TBD
Facts
Because that was proven well before this year.
As opposed to risking your own talent being worth every penny of that contract in another uniform? And hope you keep striking gold in the draft?
You must not pay attention to the Pats they do it almost every year and always end up in the super bowl.
Let me know when Bill’s cutoff hoodie has a star on the back.
lawrence had the cowbous over a barrell when gregory and irving were suspended by nfl. Dude used his leverage.
Do you have any idea how nfl contracts work? He is not getting over 100 million dollars. This contract is basically a 3 year 65 million dollar deal. The rest of the contract is just numbers and likely not money he will receive.
The cowboys have literally dug themselves out of cap hell from Jerry handing out ridiculous contracts and hit on pro bowl caliber players in the draft just about every year. To say they are a mismanaged team now is just ridiculous.
One of the worse deals I’ve seen in awhile. He’s not even healthy at the time of the signing! WoW
Great move . They essentially locked up Tank for 3 years with no long term commitment.
Over/under 12 months before the Cowboys rework this deal to clear some more cap space.
They are like $80 million under the cap next year even with this deal on the books
But that number doesn’t include deals for Dak, Zeke, Cooper, Jaylon Smith, or Byron Jones.
Ugh. Why?! Don’t get me wrong, I like him. Butttt why pay a guy who disappears in some games? Giving him Aaron Donald money cause he has Aaron Donald numbers? Aaron Donald’s numbers are great cause he’s a DT. A De with 10.5 sacks is just good. Not great
Ooof. I’m just glad it’s Jerrah’s money and not mine. Wow.
This contract will not go past Year 3.
“ Jerra” must of been consumed by picking his nose when “ Little Stevie aka Daddy I wanna run a NFL Team” did this deal.
You’re right. If this was a Jerry Jones deal it probably would’ve been a 7 year deal.
Not money well spent. Y pay him a premium when he refused to get surgery he needs? Hell miss games, wont be the same, then miss more games. Some of the moves Jerry makes give me reason to become soccer fan instead of football. Whoever is the most likely to fail a drug test will be our 2nd round choice.
Didn’t Jerry say he wasn’t going to set any precedent that would result in other players angling for new contract deals?
The clowns are running the circus.
Tomorrow Jerry hands him duffle bags and converts the entire contract to a bonus.
That’s insane money for any non-QB. The cowpokes will regret this deal as it will hinder them from re-signing some other key players in the coming years.