Ron Jenkins/Associated Press
The Dallas Cowboys and Demarcus Lawrence agreed to a five-year contract extension worth $105 million Friday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. The deal includes $65 million guaranteed.
Garafolo added that Lawrence will receive the most money ever for a defensive player in the first year of his deal, surpassing the $31 million the Chicago Bears paid to Khalil Mack in 2018.
Dallas had previously placed the franchise tag on the defensive end, which would have paid him $20.5 million for 2019, per Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram. However, Hill noted the player would refuse to sign the tag and wouldn’t show up without a long-term deal.
Lawrence played last season on the franchise tag and made $17.1 million on the one-year deal.
After proving his high level of play in 2018, it’s clear the defender wanted more security in his future and has now gotten that.
The 26-year-old had a quiet first few seasons in the NFL before breaking out in 2017, totaling 14.5 sacks with 58 combined tackles and four forced fumbles. According to NFL Research, he led the league by pressuring quarterbacks on 14.9 percent of snaps.
After signing the one-year tender, Lawrence proved it wasn’t a fluke with another big season. He finished the 2018 campaign with 64 combined tackles and 10.5 sacks, adding the first interception of his career.
This earned him a second straight Pro Bowl selection as he led a major turnaround on the Cowboys defense, which finished sixth in points allowed per game.
He would have arguably been the top free agent on the open market, but the team kept him under control with the franchise tag. Of course, the two sides were apparently far apart in negotiations for a long-term deal, with Rapoport reporting in early March that the team’s offer to Lawrence was “not considered serious.”
After just nine sacks in his first three seasons combined, Lawrence is now deservedly getting paid like one of the top defenders in the NFL.
Considering the Cowboys now have Lawrence, Leighton Vander Esch and others under contract for several years, their defense could be a force going forward.
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