Cowboys face tough decision on DeMarcus Lawrence amid cap crunch

Recently, DeMarcus Lawrence declined the Cowboys’ request for a pay cut. Now, with days to go before the start of the new league year, there’s been zero progress on that front, according to Jane Slater of NFL.com (on Twitter). On the plus side, Slater hears that the Cowboys are making headway on a new deal with wide receiver Michael Gallup.

Lawrence, 30 in April, earned a five-year, $100M+ extension following consecutive seasons with double-digit sacks. Unfortunately, he hasn’t topped seven sacks since 2018, and he missed much of 2021 with a foot fracture.

The Cowboys could conceivably cut Lawrence and save $19M if they use the post-June 1 designation. Meanwhile, they also have to consider Randy Gregory, who is out of contract. Releasing Lawrence and losing Gregory to free agency would leave the Cowboys without both of their incumbent starting edge rushers. The Cowboys could have used the franchise tag on Gregory — they chose to cuff tight end Dalton Schultz instead on Wednesday.

As it stands, Lawrence is set to earn $17M in base salary this year. That’s the second-highest sum of anyone on the Cowboys, behind franchise quarterback Dak Prescott.

The Gallup deal — which seemed to be nearly finished last week — will reportedly pay the wide receiver upward of $10M per year. The Cowboys are aiming for a five-year pact, but it’s possible that Gallup’s camp is pushing for a shorter arrangement.