After years of floundering with their pass rush, the Dallas Cowboys finally developed one last season thanks in large part to the emergence of defensive end Demarcus Lawrence. With just a week and a half before free agency begins, the Cowboys ensured they’ll keep Lawrence’s services at least another season by placing the franchise tag on the pro bowler.
Oh wow. Glad the media knows. I still haven't heard anything haha. Either way, proud to be part of the @dallascowboys organization! Let's go chase #6 🏆!! #Tagged https://t.co/lteWKNNmtZ
— DeMarcus Lawrence (@TankLawrence) March 5, 2018
Dallas and Lawrence are in the midst of long-term contract negotiations. If he does play the 2018 season on the tag, he should make around $17 million in guaranteed money.
Lawrence played a full, 16-game season in 2017 for only the second time in his four-year career. He recorded 58 tackles, one pass defense, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and 14.5 sacks. Dallas originally drafted Lawrence in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Boise State. Lawrence was suspended for four games in 2016 for violating the NFL’s PED policy.
“We won’t let D-Law not be a Dallas Cowboy next year,” Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones told reporters last month. “We’ll get that straight right now. We’ll do everything we can to try to make something work, and if we don’t get it done then we’ll franchise tag him. Then we’ll go back to work. We’d like to not have that franchise tag hanging out there. We’ve got a big negotiation ahead of us. But we don’t want Demarcus Lawrence going anywhere.”
👀 Swear? https://t.co/GbH1ezkDMp
— DeMarcus Lawrence (@TankLawrence) March 5, 2018
The tag shouldn’t cause any clashes with Lawrence, unlike it does with other players. He told reporters at the Pro Bowl last month that, “Franchise, not bad. Contract, not bad. …I’m not worrying about nothing. I’ll leave it up to my agent. He’ll take care of me.”
According to the NFL Network, Lawrence and his agent are looking for a contract that would pay in in that $17 million a year neighborhood, so the Cowboys had no reason not to go ahead and hit him with the tag, just to be safe.
OTHER FRANCHISE NEWS
The Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly prepared to place the tag on running back Le’Veon Bell for the second consecutive season. If they do, they’ll need to act quickly. The deadline to tag players is Tuesday, March 6.
Despite some early optimism at getting a long-term deal done before the deadline, the #Steelers are expected to franchise tag RB Le’Veon Bell before the Tuesday deadline, barring a dramatic turn in talks. Both sides will keep working on a deal.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 5, 2018
If the Steelers do tag Bell, and he signs the tender, they’ll be on the hook to pay him $14.544 million in 2018. Bell and Pittsburgh can work on a long-term deal, tag or not, until the deadline on July 16.
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