Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman DeMarcus Lawrence is currently on a franchise tag heading into the 2019 campaign, so, naturally, a new deal for him is going to be a hot topic of discussion for quite some time.
While Lawrence is almost surely looking for a big payday, the Cowboys are being cautious with how they spend their money, and head coach Jason Garrett said that the team is prioritizing building a title contender before anything:
“We want you to make more money…The Joneses want you to make more money. But having said that, we want you to be part of a team that can compete for a championship,” said Garrett, according to David Moore of The Dallas Morning News. “And in doing that, you have to have discipline under the salary cap.”
That is not exactly a comforting statement for Lawrence, who is set to earn $20.6 million this coming season if he plays out the year on a franchise tag.
Lawrence is coming off of a terrific 2018 campaign in which he racked up 64 tackles, 10.5 sacks, an interception, a couple of forced fumbles and a fumble recovery en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.
The 26-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Boise State University, was originally selected by Dallas in the second round (34th pick overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft.
His NFL career got off to a slow start, as he only played one full season over his first three years in the league, but in 2017, he broke out, racking up 58 tackles, 14.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, making the Pro Bowl as a result.
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