Getty A slew of Dallas Cowboys defenders celebrating after creating a turnover.
The Dallas Cowboys are going to be forced to make some business decisions this offseason.
According to the latest numbers from Spotrac, America’s Team is currently $24 million over the cap heading into 2022. That figure ranks third-worst in the NFL only lower than the Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints.
With so little cap room to work with, the Cowboys may have to move on from some of their proven talents and that could be great news for the New York Jets.
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A Series of Unfortunate Events
NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler of ESPN shared the latest fodder he was hearing from the Super Bowl heading into the offseason. One of the nuggets he divulged involved the Cowboys being in cap hell in 2022.
Their dynamic pass rusher Randy Gregory is a pending free agent and he should have a robust market in free agency. If that comes to fruition Fowler said “it’ll be hard” for the 29-year-old to pass up a monster contract offer on the open market.
Another Cowboys pass rusher that came up in conversations in league circles was DeMarcus Lawrence. Fowler shared that he has “no more guaranteed money” left on his contract and Dallas could save $8 million by cutting him outright.
Although there is a thought the team will approach him about taking a pay cut, but Fowler says “he might not say yes” which would force them to make a tough choice.
Lawrence originally signed a record-breaking five-year deal worth over $105 million back in 2019. Now one way or another he could find his way on the open market.
Fortunately from a Jets perspective, they don’t have any of those cap issues. While the Cowboys are buried in the red, Gang Green is very much in the green with over $44 million (that is the sixth-best in the NFL heading into 2022).
A Great Fit on the Green and White
The Jets are in desperate need of proven EDGE rush help on their defense.
Not only has Gang Green not had a double-digit sack season since 2015, but no one on their current roster has ever achieved that milestone.
Although a player who has done that twice in his career is Lawrence of the Cowboys. Since entering the league back in 2014, the 6-foot-3, 265-pound stud has racked up some big-time stats:
- 48.5 sacks
- 100 quarterback hits
- 17 forced fumbles
- 321 combined tackles
Lawrence has also done a remarkable job of staying on the field. While he missed 10 games this past season, prior to that he hadn’t missed a game since 2016.
Adding Lawrence in a vacuum would be a worthwhile addition for the Jets, but when you consider the ripple effects it is an absolute no-brainer.
The former Boise State product would force offenses to double him, which will then open the doors for Carl Lawson, Quinnen Williams, John Franklin-Myers, and the rest of the Gang Green defense to eat.
That would in turn make the jobs of the secondary easier because they wouldn’t have to cover as long if the Jets are getting after the opposing passer.
If he shakes free, this could be a surprising addition for the Jets during free agency that could truly open up the rest of the defense.
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