According to Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram, the Cowboys won’t place their franchise tag on DE DeMarcus Lawrence on Tuesday and will try to negotiate a long-term extension before the March 5 deadline to tag players.
Hill says Lawrence is the Cowboys’ top priority this offseason and they plan to keep him at all cost.
A second straight franchise tag would cost Dallas $20.5 million fully guaranteed for the 2019 season.
As for a long-term extension, Hill estimates that Lawrence will be seeking between $20.5 and $23 annually.
One thing to watch with Lawrence in the event that he’s franchised again is whether he’ll report to the team for the start of training camp in July.
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 2018, Lawrence appeared in all 16 games for the Cowboys and recorded 64 tackles, 10.5 sacks, an interception, two forced fumbles, a recovery and a pass defense. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 9 overall edge defender out of 103 qualifying players.
We have him featured in our Top 100 – 2019 NFL Free Agents list.
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