Dallas Cowboys: DeMarcus Lawrence should be free agency priority
For once, the Dallas Cowboys have money to spend in free agency, but re-signing and locking up DeMarcus Lawrence long-term should be their top priority.
One of the narratives for years with the Dallas Cowboys when it comes to NFL free agency has been their lack of flexibility in regards to the salary cap. That, however, is set to change in 2019. The Cowboys find themselves in a position where they can actually make some big moves on the open market coming off of their postseason berth and Divisional Round appearance.
Per Over The Cap, the Cowboys will have $54,686,337 in cap space as currently constituted. However, if they make some roster cuts, that number could easily climb north of $60 million, giving them much more room to operate than the organization and fans are familiar with.
There are certainly players that the Cowboys could pursue. Dallas could make a run at like former Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas after trade rumors connected the player and team throughout 2018 prior to his injury. Thomas, of course, isn’t alone in regards to players that America’s Team could get after. Having said that, their top priority in free agency shouldn’t be going after other players.
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Instead, the Cowboys’ primary focus in 2019 NFL free agency should be to retain one of their own, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. After playing the 2018 season on the franchise tag, Lawrence is set to hit unrestricted free agency. However, he made it clear after leaving practice at the Pro Bowl that he’d like a long-term deal with Dallas, per NFL.com:
"“I’m trying to do that long-term deal, too,” Lawrence said. “Just tell Stephen to hit me up when he’s ready, man. I mean, he already knows what’s up with me.”"
After showing flashes but never being consistent — or fully healthy — for much of his first three seasons with the Cowboys, Lawrence broke out as one of the best edge defenders in the league in 2017. However, putting him on the franchise tag was the right move for the franchise as they needed to see him do it again. Lawrence answered the call as he again was a beast, grading out as the ninth best edge defender in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
With two-straight seasons of elite performance under his belt now, it’s clear that the Boise State product has established himself as one of the premier edge defenders in the NFL. Pass rush in the modern NFL is of the utmost importance and Lawrence’s breakout has helped the Cowboys to establish a young, up-and-coming defense.
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Subsequently, locking up Lawrence is absolutely pivotal to the future of the Cowboys. Yes, they have extensions for Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott looming in the near future. However, now that the franchise now has actual flexibility under the salary cap, they can make it happen. And losing Lawrence and what he brings to this defense would be too detrimental to overcome.
For more grades, advanced statistics and more at Pro Football Focus, subscribe to PFF’s EDGE or ELITE subscriptions at ProFootballFocus.com.