Calvin Watkins of The Athletic reports that the Cowboys and franchise DE Demarcus Lawrence are expected to discuss a potential extension next week.
A source tells Watkins that Lawrence is looking for a five-year contract and is willing to be patient if need be.
The expectation has been that Lawrence will likely play out the season under the franchise tag and position himself to either hit free agency next year or get tagged for the second straight year.
Earlier in the week, Albert Breer mentioned that he can see the Cowboys taking a shot at getting a long-term deal in place for Lawrence, even though it’s unlikely they’ll be able to strike an agreement at this point.
Lawrence, 26, is a former second-round pick by the Cowboys in the 2014 NFL Draft out of Boise State. He finished a four-year rookie contract before the Cowboys used their franchise tag on him several months ago.
The franchise tag will cost Dallas around $17.5 million fully guaranteed for the 2018 season.
In 2017, Lawrence appeared in all 16 games and recorded 58 total tackles, 15 sacks, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and one pass defense. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 3 overall edge defender out of 106 qualifying players.
We have him featured in our Top 25 – 2019 NFL Free Agents list.
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