The Dallas Cowboys are starting to make a habit of this and they did it again on Monday when they placed the franchise tag on defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. This is the second consecutive year they have done so, as this comes after they were unable to reach an agreement on a long-term deal this off-season. When they made this move last year, they had no plans on finalizing an extension before the beginning of the season, as they held off contract talks until after the season. This year, they hope to extend Lawrence before the 2019 season gets underway.
The NFL Network was the first to report the news, but the two sides have until July 15th to work out an extension, or Lawrence will play yet another season on the tag. The Cowboys will pay him at least $20.5 million in 2019 if the tag remains in place, this after he made $17.1 million on the franchise tag last season. Lawrence accepted the tag with no issues last season, but you can only imagine there is a bit more frustration with it this time around.
Lawrence had 10.5 sacks and 39 quarterback pressures in 2018, but the team hopes he can get back to his Pro Bowl level of 14.5 sacks from 2017. He was credited with 47 tackles and 12 tackles for loss on the season, along with an interception, as well as a fumble recovery and two forced fumbles this past season. He did all of this while fighting off a shoulder injury, but will not hope to fight off this franchise tag before the season begins. He is not expected to attend the off-season program, organized team activities, minicamp, or training camp until a deal is in place.
The NFL Network was the first to report the news, but the two sides have until July 15th to work out an extension, or Lawrence will play yet another season on the tag. The Cowboys will pay him at least $20.5 million in 2019 if the tag remains in place, this after he made $17.1 million on the franchise tag last season. Lawrence accepted the tag with no issues last season, but you can only imagine there is a bit more frustration with it this time around.
Lawrence had 10.5 sacks and 39 quarterback pressures in 2018, but the team hopes he can get back to his Pro Bowl level of 14.5 sacks from 2017. He was credited with 47 tackles and 12 tackles for loss on the season, along with an interception, as well as a fumble recovery and two forced fumbles this past season. He did all of this while fighting off a shoulder injury, but will not hope to fight off this franchise tag before the season begins. He is not expected to attend the off-season program, organized team activities, minicamp, or training camp until a deal is in place.
