This offseason has be a whirlwind in regards to the DeMarcus Lawrence contract negotiations. Since placing the franchise tag on Lawrence for the second consecutive year at the start of the 2019 season, there have been few reports that have come out that showed any signs of hope of getting a deal done.
Most recently, there have been multiple reports from both sides showing their frustrations with the inability to meet each others demands. There have even been multiple reports that have come out that Lawrence’s agent David Canter, and the Jones’ have destroyed their once good relationship over the last few months of the negotiations. While I do believe there may be some frustrations from both sides, a report that came out later in the week makes me believe that we will see some positive steps in the negotiations start soon. According to Calvin Watkins of the Athletic, the Cowboys may be on the right track to meet Lawrence somewhere in the middle, sooner rather than later:
Quinn adds a legitimate pass-rusher to a defensive line that has two on its active roster, DeMarcus Lawrence and Taco Charlton. The Cowboys placed a franchise tag on Lawrence, costing them $20.5 million of their salary cap space. Lawrence and the Cowboys continue to talk, and a source said the team presented a new contract proposal Wednesday, reducing Lawrence’s potential deal from six years to five.
When talking about the new Cowboys pass rusher Robert Quinn, Watkins casually brings up the Cowboys have started tweaking some of the details in the contract to possible meet some of Lawrence’s demands. Brining the contract length down from six years to five years will allow the contract to still hold its value, but for one less year of control for both the team and the player.
This helps the Cowboys if they’d like to front-load the contract, back-load the contract, or move on after a few years without being tied to Lawrence for an extra year. It also helps Lawrence get the money he’s looking for, possibly giving him another opportunity to hit the open market at age 31 where he may be able to sign another short-term deal.
While this isn’t a huge deal yet, it does show signs of both parties working to get something done and the first real signs of positive negotiations. It still may take some time to get this deal done, so sit back, relax, and cross your fingers that the two parties can come together to lock down one of the NFL’s best pass rushers for the foreseeable future.