Near the start of the NFL offseason, the Dallas Cowboys decided to ink rising star defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence to the franchise tag for the 2018 season.

In the weeks that have followed, there hasn't been much dialogue from the Cowboys concerning working out a new extension prior to July's deadline but rather a wait-and-see approach that could see them ramp up contract talks next offseason before the start of free agency.

According to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News, Lawrence voiced that he believes that he will put up another strong season that will force the Cowboys to give him a lucrative deal.

“It really doesn't matter,” Lawrence said Wednesday from the team's annual Reliant Home Run Derby to benefit The Salvation Army. “If I do my thing, I put up my stats and I help my team win, they ain't got no choice but to sign me. That's how I feel.”

Lawrence is coming off a break out 2017 campaign in which he recorded a career-high 14.5 sacks that earned him his first Pro Bowl selection and a Second-Team All-Pro. He finished tied for second in the NFL in sacks, and his 79 total pressures were the third-most in the football land, according to Pro Football Focus. Lawrence is also just the third player in franchise history to record at least 14.0 sacks in a single season, joining DeMarcus Ware and Jim Jeffcoat.

Although that has put him on the map as being one of the rising stars at his position, the Cowboys may want to see if his production isn't just a one-year outburst. He has the physical tools to be a game-changing talent for many years down the line, but there is no certainty at this point he can continue on this upward trajectory that should warrant fully a lucrative long-term deal.

Nonetheless, it will be on Lawrence's shoulders to prove in the 2018 season that he has emerged as a defensive star in the league that the Cowboys will want to keep around at nearly any cost.