5 potential Dallas Cowboys cap casualties in 2022 offseason

Dallas Cowboys potential cap casualty No. 1: DeMarcus Lawrence, EDGE

Every year, DeMarcus Lawrence continues to be one of the top-rated pass rushers in the entire NFL. He’s elite against the run and he’s recorded 38 pressures in his past 23 games played.

However, he doesn’t get home as much as he used to. Since signing a five-year, $105 million deal back in 2019, Lawrence has 14.5 sacks — with 6.5 in 2020 being his best finish. This year, he did miss 10 games but still had just three sacks in the seven he did play in.

Sure, there’s much more to playing the position than recording sacks but the honest truth is, defensive ends get paid $100 million to bring the quarterback down — not just be disruptive. With that being the case, Dallas could look to move on from Lawrence this offseason.

If they did, they would most likely use one of the two post-June 1 designations on him as it would save them $19 million. That money could then be used to bring back Randy Gregory, who had one of his best seasons rushing the passer in 2021. They could also potentially bring back Dorance Armstrong, who had 37 tackles and five sacks this season.

Such a move wouldn’t be popular with Lawrence being a beloved figure in Dallas but sometimes the best teams have to make moves such as this. The Cowboys have often shied away from these moves, and we all know where they usually stand among the best teams.