The Dallas Cowboys enter the offseason with important decisions to make.
Outside of the team’s current situation with wide receiver Amari Cooper, the Cowboys will be forced to decide the fate of longtime defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. With a cap hit of $27 million for the upcoming season, Lawrence is the highest-paid player on the roster.
And despite the fact that Lawrence has refused to take a pay cut, it appears the Cowboys are going to keep him. According to ESPN’s Ed Werder, Lawrence “isn’t going anywhere.”
“Three player updates from #Cowboys source with #NFL FA approaching: “Demarcus Lawrence isn’t going anywhere.” Team still working on Amari Cooper options while hoping a new contract for Michael Gallup is soon finished,” says Werder.
It was previously assumed that once Lawrence refused to take a pay cut, that he would be released by the Cowboys. Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News said as much upon reporting Lawrence’s refusal to take less money.
“Normally when a player rejects a pay cut he’s soon to be released,” said Watkins on Sunday, March 6.
The problem is, releasing Lawrence does more harm than good to the Cowboys’ salary cap situation. In fact, releasing the 29-year-old veteran costs the Cowboys $19 million in dead money for this season.
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Lawrence Remains Elite Despite Declining Production
Despite Lawrence’s declining production — he hasn’t posted a double-digit sack season since his last Pro Bowl campaign in 2018 — he remains a force off of the edge.
According to Pro Football Focus, Lawrence posted a 90.9 defensive grade in 2021 and a 88.7 defensive grade in 2020, ranking fourth among all edge rushers in each of those seasons.
Considering teammate Randy Gregory could very well walk in free agency, the Cowboys are actually lacking pass-rushers outside of Micah Parsons. That makes bringing back Lawrence for at least one more season even more important.
Demand for Gregory is ‘Heating Up’
While Gregory’s sack numbers have never been impressive — he posted six sacks during the 2021 season, a career-high mark — he enters free agency as one of the top players.
According to a report from Matt Lombardo of FanSided on Friday, March 11, Gregory’s free-agency market is “heating up.”
“After the #Cowboys declined to use the franchise tag on Randy Gregory, I’m told per sources, the pass-rusher’s market is heating up with several teams showing strong interest,” says Lombardo. “Gregory matched a career-high six sacks in 12 games last season.”
The demand for Gregory may speak more about the value of edge rushers than Gregory’s actual production. According to Pro Football Focus, the 29-year-old defensive end posted just a 67.3 defensive grade in 2021, the 46th-highest of any edge rusher in the league.
However, his pass-rushing grade of 84.7 was the 12th-highest of any edge rusher in the league. Gregory may not excel as an overall player, but he certainly excels when it comes to rushing the quarterback.
According to Spotrac, the seven-year veteran’s market value is $13.2 million per season across three years. That would rank him 14th among all outside linebackers in pay.
With the Cowboys passing on placing the franchise tag on Gregory, it looks like his days are numbered in Dallas.
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Cowboys Make Final Decision on 2-Time Pro Bowler: Report