DeMarcus Lawrence isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, with the powerful Dallas Cowboys pass-rusher agreeing to a new deal with the team on Monday.
Lawrence inked a three-year, $40 million deal with the Cowboys with $30 million guaranteed. The Cowboys had been working to get under the cap and Lawrence’s massive $27 million figure wasn’t helping.
The deal drops that number to $14 million and will give the Cowboys more flexibility and the ability to keep key names like Jayron Kearse, Malik Hooker and Randy Gregory on board.
Lawrence reacted to his new contract on social media with the hashtag, “HomeForGood.”
His agent, David Canter, also congrtulated Lawrence on his historic contract, sharing that his client because the first defensive end in NFL history to get seven years of his playing contract fully guaranteed.
Lawrence has played his entire career with the Cowboys since being selected in the second round in the 2014 draft. He has accounted for 48.5 sacks — 25 of those coming over a two season span from 2017-18.
Lawrence had been relatively healthy before last season, with a foot injury limiting him to just seven games. He finished with just three sacks.
Cowboys Will Return Key Pieces on Defense
Despite Lawrence missing more than half the year, the Cowboys defense was much-improved from the year prior. Dallas finished the regular season 12-5 but were bounced in the Wild Card Round by the 49ers.
Luckily for the Cowboys, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will be returning to try to complete some “unfinished business.”
“We have the right people in place to accomplish the things everyone in this building is working to accomplish,” Quinn told CowboysSI.com. “We’re doing that right now. We’re doing it today – grinding toward a goal.”
Quinn has the pieces to have a dominant unit once again. Lawrence will return and will get to play alongside rising stars Trevon Diggs and Micah Parsons. It’s clear Dallas has Super Bowl expectations heading into next season.
“I was speaking to Zeke and Dak this weekend, telling them I’m looking forward to next year,” Parsons told the Cowboys official site this offseason. “That’s what the mindset is. This is what it has to be. To get something you want, you’ve got to work for it. After seeing the Rams win it, and I was there to visualize and see what it looked like to be champion – I don’t know what it takes because I haven’t done it, but I’ve seen it and I’ve just got to do it the right way.”
Cowboys Lose Cedrick Wilson to Dolphins
A unit that will look different next year is the Cowboys receiver corps. The team traded away Amari Cooper to the Browns over the weekend and saw Cedrick Wilson Jr. sign with the Dolphins on Monday.
Wilson has agreed to a three-year contract worth $22 million with Miami. The former sixth-round pick capitalized on his opportunities. Last season he caught 45 passes for 603 yards and six touchdowns while helping fill in for Michael Gallup. Now he’ll get a chance for a larger role with the Dolphins catching balls from Tua Tagovailoa.
Comments
Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence Issues Strong Message After New Deal