FRIDAY: It appears the Cowboys asked for a hefty pay cut. They approached Lawrence about trimming his 2022 base salary from $19MM to $10MM, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes. Lawrence nearly halving his salary would be difficult to envision, despite his injury-altered 2021 season. With free agency less than a week away, the Cowboys will need to make a call here. Progress between the sides has proven elusive, and the Cowboys may be prepared to stand down and keep Lawrence on his present salary, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets.
MONDAY: The Cowboys’ DeMarcus Lawrence extension has not produced the kind of production he provided on his rookie contract or as a franchise-tagged player in 2018. Lawrence missed much of last season due to a broken foot, and the Cowboys will be forced into a decision on the veteran edge rusher soon.
Dallas requested Lawrence take a pay cut, but Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports the eight-year vet declined. Pay-cut requests often precede releases. The Cowboys would save $19MM by designating Lawrence a post-June 1 cut. While the team could make the cut at any point, it would not realize the savings until after that date.
[RELATED: Cowboys Likely To Release Amari Cooper]
Lawrence, 30 in April, is coming off a three-sack season. He has not totaled more than seven sacks in a season since 2018 but has helped teammates’ sack totals, as evidenced by Robert Quinn‘s bounce-back year in 2019. Lawrence wants to stay in Dallas, per Watkins, and cutting him would run the risk of the team losing both its edge starters.
The Cowboys are not planning to use their franchise tag on Randy Gregory, Watkins tweets. That is not surprising, given Gregory’s suspension history and the D-end tag checking in at $17.9MM. The Cowboys’ loyalty to Gregory during his hiatuses will surely factor into his free agency decision, but the talented pass rusher hitting the market obviously runs the risk of a defection. That complicates Dallas’ Lawrence decision.
Jerry Jones followed through with cutting DeMarcus Ware after requesting a pay cut in 2014. Ware went on to form an elite edge-rushing duo with Von Miller in Denver, doing so as Lawrence struggled to start his career. Lawrence found his footing by 2017, combining for 25 sacks over the next two seasons. The Cowboys tagged him twice but reached a five-year, $105MM extension soon after. Lawrence carries the Cowboys’ second-highest base salary in 2022.
Subtraction by subtraction
Prescott, Zeke, Cooper, Lawrence, terrible contracts. It’s time for Jerrah to fire his GM…. Jerrah!
He’s too busy drafting up an albatross contract to offer to Bobby Wagner to fire himself.
The cowboys continue to over value their players. They are $8million over the cap and must be under by the rule of 51 in a few days. Yet they are looking for an extension to Gallop and still need about $10 million for their draft class. Gonna be interesting to see how they manage to do it. As for asking a player to take a pay cut then retaining him, can’t see that working out well.
They are 22 over the cap according to SI, but switches on Dak and Martin will be flipped tomorrow which gains 23 million.
Every team is the league to house cleaning. You’d think somehow Dallas is different? Also, for those who think Jerry Jones does the books are living in two decades past. Stephen Jones has been doing contracts dating back to Bill Parcells? So hate JJ all you want, he loves the attention.
It’s hilarious that this story is currently right next to the story about Dallas being interested in 31-year old Bobby Wagner. They have some great core talent, but their financial planning reminds me of Homer Simpson’s immortal words: “That’s a problem for future Homer. Man, I don’t envy that guy.”
Cut the player! Trade Collins, cut or trade Cooper! Trade more players! Begin new NFL year financially healthy.
Let players walk in free agency. Get some compensatory picks next year.
Let it be the year to begin with young blood and financially in black numbers.
If they cut him, I don’t think he’s going to get more than 10 million. He would most likely get around 3 years 18 million maybe 6 million in guaranteed money. He should have taken the pay cut.
Why take it? Either way he’s getting 19M right? Then if they cut him he can go sign elsewhere for 6M and make 25M right?