“Things could be so simple, but you’d rather make things more complicated.” – Lauryn Hill
Amari Cooper and DeMarcus Lawrence have a lot more in common now than they did a few weeks ago, and both are X factors in what the Dallas Cowboys are trying to do this offseason. That’s because while both believed they were all going to be with the Dallas Cowboys in 2022, that may or may not be the case. Lawrence is another cornerstone player who is asked to flex in ways he’d rather not, and for a reason the Cowboys see as necessary but actually don’t.
Already discussing his contract with Cooper, they took the predictable step of approaching Lawrence for dialogue about his contract, but things didn’t go the way they hoped, although it went exactly as you’d expect. This is especially true given the tone of past negotiations between the two sides.
The team’s front office recently asked the All-Pro pass rusher to agree to a pay cut for 2022, CBS Sports sources confirmed, but Lawrence politely (or maybe not so politely) declined. Lawrence is due to receive a base salary of $19 million next season, and the Cowboys are trying to free up tens of millions to help their free agent plan, which could include tagging either tight end Dalton Schultz or quarterback Randy Gregory, but Lawrence also knows that there is an easy option that the team could pull the trigger that will bring them millions to the ceiling without amputating his direct deposits.
It’s not uncommon for teams to try to use pay cuts against what they think a given player can or can’t get on the open market, but it also depends heavily on how big the pay cut is, the level of play and the timing of a possible release. Considering each of these things work in Lawrence’s favor, assuming it’s not a post-June 1st move, that puts the Cowboys in a pickle, or rather an olive, because it’s not really an issue.
They just make it one.
Like Cooper, they have the option to simply restructure the deal with Lawrence, which will instantly release $11.92 million in the cap — almost $4 million more than if they released or traded him (until June 1st). But if they decide to release him after June 1, now getting a firm no to the pay cut, they will get his base salary of $19 million in savings (along with $8 million in dead money); an attractive amount that won’t matter much to them when leeway matters the most (March and April) because they won’t see their savings topped out until the summer.
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Lawrence, 29, returned from a broken foot in practice after the first week to immediately establish himself as the best defenseman on a team not named Micah Parsons – 18 quarterback presses, three sacks, five passes, a fumble recovery and a touchdown in defense in his last six games of the regular season (as well as arguably the best defensive player on the team).
He was the war dad again, talked about by owner Jerry Jones just before they gave him a five-year, $105 million contract extension in 2019, but Lawrence had to fight tooth and nail to get that contract. They applied the franchise tag to Lawrence in 2018 instead of a long-term deal, and then added a second tag the following offseason, which infuriated Lawrence in the process and forced him to use a shoulder injury as a weapon to apply the last piece needed. pressure on the Cowboys to make a deal and still have time for surgery and rehab to be ready for the start of the 2019 season.
It worked, and a month after it was tagged for the second time, it was canceled and the above deal was negotiated. So now, two years later, no one really expected Lawrence to walk away from millions when the team had other options and after the show he did in December… and not currently under contract with Randy Gregory .
Things are getting a lot harder for the Cowboys than they should be, and the team is now trying to figure out if they’re willing to part ways with two of their best players – creating more needs for their respective positions in the process – To save money, they could instead get by pulling leverage that wouldn’t change the talent equation much ahead of a pivotal season for head coach Mike McCarthy and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
And, after all, both Cooper and Lawrence would like the Cowboys to tell them who they have to be in order to get some reciprocity… that doesn’t require a refund.