The Cowboys keep Demarcus Lawrence but risk pissing him off

That’s two straight years under the tag for Lawrence, who has said he won’t sign the tender this time.

The Cowboys checked off the first box on their offseason to-do list. For the second year in a row, they placed the franchise tag on star defensive end Demarcus Lawrence, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. By putting the tag on him, Dallas has ensured that arguably the top free agent in the NFL won’t hit the market this year.

Dallas couldn’t afford to let its best defensive player hit free agency. Lawrence is responsible for 25 of the Cowboys’ 77 sacks over the past two seasons — he’s a big enough piece of their success that they’re willing to pay him a cap hit that’s just over $20 million.

But the problem is Lawrence didn’t want to get the tag again. He has already made it clear that he would like to receive a long-term deal from the Cowboys that would give him added security beyond a one-year contract.

The Cowboys were reportedly hoping to sign Lawrence to a new contract before the franchise tag deadline ended, but that didn’t happen. Now, they’ve potentially run the risk of a dramatic Lawrence holdout if they can’t get it done:

While Lawrence may not get what he’s looking for off the bat, he and the Cowboys have until July 15 to reach a deal.

Dallas’ next priority is to hammer out a long-term deal with Lawrence

A long-term deal for Lawrence could net him an average salary of more than $19 million per year, just based on how much star pass rushers are getting paid. Khalil Mack has an average salary of $23.5 million, Von Miller is at $19 million, and Olivier Vernon is bringing in an average salary of $17 million.

Getting a deal done with Lawrence will help Dallas in the long term and the short term. In the long term, the Cowboys have one of the best pass rushers in the NFL under contract for the foreseeable future — Lawrence will turn 27 before the start of the season.

Despite not agreeing to a new contract last offseason, it’s much more likely this year — and not just because Cowboys VP Stephen Jones said that signing Lawrence to a long-term contract would be a “huge priority.”

Part of the reason why Dallas tagged him last year was to see if he could replicate his dominant 2017 season. Lawrence had nine sacks in his first three seasons before posting 14.5 sacks in 2017. He followed up his season in 2017 with 10.5 sacks in 2018, living up to those high expectations.

Besides, if the Cowboys don’t extend his deal, there’s a good chance that Lawrence will hold out through OTAs and longer, an outcome the team would like to avoid.

His production could be more important than ever in 2019. Dallas will have to replace Randy Gregory’s presence up front after the defensive end, who had six sacks last fall, ran afoul of the league’s substance abuse policy this offseason. He’s facing a fourth suspension as a result, and his future with the team is much murkier than it’d been at the end of the 2018 season.

In the short term, a new deal with Lawrence would give immediate cap relief to Dallas and ensure some stability in the team’s pass rush. However, he’s not the only Cowboy star looking for a massive deal this spring.

How would a long-term deal for Lawrence affect the team’s future plans?

Dak Prescott, Byron Jones, Amari Cooper, and Ezekiel Elliott are nearing the end of their rookie deals. At least in the case of Elliott, Dallas can still exercise his fifth-year option and push that contract issue to 2020.

Prescott’s deal will probably be the next domino to fall now that Lawrence has received the franchise tag. Prescott is on a cheap, rookie deal and would like to see a payday that fairly reflects the current quarterback market. Jerry Jones has also said that Prescott is going to receive an extension. Prescott played well after the Cowboys traded for Amari Cooper prior to Week 8 — he threw for 14 touchdowns and just four interceptions in the final nine games of the season.

Dallas has already made two decisions this offseason. The Cowboys decided not to pick up the option for wide receiver Terrance Williams and they reportedly have “no intention” to keep defensive lineman David Irving — a player who wound up suspended indefinitely by the league not long after the club decided to let him leave. Dallas also needs to decide what to do with longtime linebacker Sean Lee, who has become expendable due to the emergence of Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch.

Outside of taking care of players already on the roster, Dallas has to patch up a few holes on its roster. The Cowboys could use a swing tackle to back up Tyron Smith and La’el Collins and additional competition a tight end would help the team as well.

Nailing free agency will be crucial for them especially since they don’t have a first-round pick, which they traded to the Raiders when they acquired Cooper. Dallas is hoping to put the pieces together it needs to finally be able to get out of the Divisional Round.

Who could Dallas target in free agency this year?

Lawrence’s cap hit on his franchise tag will just about cut Dallas’ cap space in half. The Cowboys are entering the offseason with around $48 million in cap space, according to Spotrac. If they can sign Lawrence to a long-term deal in the coming weeks, that would reduce the franchise tag cap hit into something more manageable, giving Dallas more room to negotiate with free agents.

Earl Thomas has been one big-ticket free agents linked to Dallas. Thomas is from Texas and went to the University of Texas. He and the Cowboys have had some not-so-secret public flirting as recently as last season. Thomas is coming off of a lower leg fracture he suffered early last season, but still has All-Pro potential if he’s fully healthy. Even though Thomas only played in four games last season, he still tied for the Seahawks’ team lead in interceptions with three — two of which came against the Cowboys.

Thomas could be out of the team’s price range, however. Sources within the franchise told reporters the club is only in on the former Seahawk as “bargain shoppers,” a term that probably won’t appeal to a 30-year-old safety in search of one final monster contract.

Dallas could also use a wide receiver to pair with Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup for the long term. The Cowboys already rescinded Williams’ team option and Cole Beasley is an impending free agent. Golden Tate is an intriguing option if they decide to dip their feet into the wide receiver free agency pool. Pierre Garcon would also be a nice, veteran option if Dallas doesn’t want to break the bank. With $3.5 million already committed to bringing 37-year-old Jason Witten out of retirement, the team may have to be prudent when luring new targets to Texas.

Between signing Lawrence to a multi-year deal, extending players whose deals are about to expire, signing free agents, and the upcoming NFL Draft, the Cowboys have a lot of work to do this offseason.

At least they’ve completed the first step — making sure their most important defensive player doesn’t leave.