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Lawrence a potential cap casualty after opposing pay cut with Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys would like for defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence to restructure his contract and take a pay cut but without that, his release could be imminent.

DALLAS — It’s no secret that the Dallas Cowboys have a mountain of moves to make this offseason. By now, every fan of the team knows the Cowboys are over the salary cap and need to find a way to shed money, while also trying to keep a competitive team on the field.

It’s going to take some bold moves to get under the cap after poor contracts over the course of the last few years have put Jerry and Stephen Jones in this position. Two of the most talked about players in the offseason matrix are wide receiver Amari Cooper and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence.

The rumors have been going strong since the season ended that the Cowboys won’t be able to keep one, or both, of these talented players. Cooper has dominated the headlines, and a release looks to be coming if the Cowboys can’t trade him.

However, the team does look like they are trying to keep Lawrence, albeit at a lower salary. Dallas reportedly asked Lawrence to take a pay cut, which the veteran defensive end refused.

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If the Cowboys did cut Lawrence, they would save $19 million by designating it a June 1 cap hit, but the maneuver would leave $8 million in dead money for this season.

That’s a lot of money to save for a team that needs to get under the salary cap, but also a good chunk of money taking up space for a player who isn’t on your team anymore.

It’s hard to fathom any player taking a pay cut, especially with the toll the game takes on their bodies. Lawrence has been a really good player for a long time and called the Cowboys’ bluff when he landed his contract extension. Perhaps the situation would have been different if the Cowboys didn’t drag their feet on contract negotiations a few years ago. In the end, Lawrence has earned his money.

Either way, this felt inevitable. The Cowboys need cap space and Lawrence is their most expensive defensive player, carrying a charge of $27 million in 2022.

The team wants the veteran DE back, but they need him to play at a lower cost. Instead of releasing him, Dallas is exhausting all options before making that decision.

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Lawrence missed 10 games last season and will be 30-years old at the start of the season, but was still a productive player for a revitalized defense. After coming back from a broken foot suffered before Week 2, Lawrence had all three of his sacks, four tackles for a loss and turned an interception into a touchdown in one of the highlights of the Cowboys’ season.

He hasn’t had double-digit sacks since 2018, but Lawrence remains one of the NFL’s best two-way defensive ends. 

Lawrence has one of the best pressure rates in the league over the last five years, despite getting double teamed and not having much help, and he plays the run about as well as any edge player in the game.

The veteran out of Boise State was also graded as the second-best player on the Cowboys in 2021 in his limited snaps.

Lawrence remains one of the best defensive players on the Cowboys, only surpassed by Micah Parsons. Allowing him to leave because they can’t make the salary cap work would be an unfortunate move. If Dallas wants to build on a solid season and end their NFC title game drought, they need to find a way to keep Lawrence. The defense isn’t better without Lawrence in the lineup.

It’s understandable how the Cowboys are trying to work around the cap and retain Lawrence, the first step was to ask about a pay cut. That didn’t work, what will be the next move from a franchise grasping at straws to keep one of their best defensive players?

The saga continues and time is running out. The Cowboys must decide what they want to do with DeMarcus Lawrence with the shadow of the salary cap looming.

Do you think the Cowboys should release DeMarcus Lawrence for cap space or make a bigger effort to retain him? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.

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