The Cowboys have a decision to make about DeMarcus Lawrence in the next couple of months.
The Dallas Cowboys have a long list of unrestricted free agents who will officially hit the open market in a little over two months. Of those, six or seven were significant contributors in 2024, meaning the Cowboys have some difficult decisions ahead of them in the next two months.
Today, we take a look at a Dallas impending free agents coming off an injury-riddled season, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence.
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2024 Regular Season Stats: 4G, 9 Total Pressures, 7 Defensive Stops, 4 QB Hurries, 3 Sacks, 2 QB Hits, 1 FFM
Year Review: DeMarcus Lawrence came into the 2024 season riding high. The 32-year-old veteran, tied with Zack Martin as the longest-tenured Cowboy on the roster, had a resurgence in his last two seasons. After injuries limited him to playing in just seven regular season games in 2021, Lawrence remained healthy the following two seasons, playing in all 17 regular season games each year.
Lawrence was named to the Pro Bowl in 2022 and 2023, totaling 107 total pressures, 82 QB hurries, and 11 sacks over those two years. In his later years, Lawrence’s best asset has been his ability to play the run as an edge defender. 2023 was arguably the best season of his career doing just that, as Pro Football Focus graded the 11-year pro as the second-best run defender in football with a 92.2 grade.
Entering a contract year for the first time since 2019, Lawrence looked to be in a great position to have another solid season and capitalize on the open market either with the Cowboys or another team. Unfortunately, Lawrence’s 2024 season was cut very short.
In Dallas’ Week 4 matchup against the New York Giants, the 32-year-old veteran suffered a foot injury that would immediately land him on injured reserve. At the time of the injury, there was a belief Lawrence could return in potentially six weeks. However, that was not the case, as Lawrence remained on injured reserve for the rest of the season, never seeing the field again.
Free Agency Outlook: Lawrence’s significant foot injury really fogs up his potential market in free agency. If the veteran had hit the open market coming off his 2023 campaign, there’s a real chance he could have landed something like three -year deal worth a significant AAV. Now, coming off one of the most impactful injuries of his career at close to age 33, it will be interesting to see if teams are wary of giving Lawrence a long-term offer.
Still, despite his age and injury history, teams will still be interested in Lawrence because of what he brings on the field and to the locker room. There’s no denying Lawrence was one of the most essential on and off-field leaders during his time as a Cowboy, and numerous players and coaches have raved about his leadership ability.
When looking for a contract projection, two deals signed by veterans last offseason may serve as a good benchmark. Last spring, then 33-year-old Denico Autry and 30-year-old Arik Armstead signed multi-year deals worth at least $10M annually. Autry, the older of the two, signed a two-year, $20M contract with the Houston Texans, while Armstead inked a three-year, $43.5M deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
At this point in his career, Lawrence is certainly not the pass-rush threat Autry or Armstead were when they entered free agency. Still, he is a comparable all-around player and will likely be looking for a deal with a similar AAV to the duo.
The 2025 free agent class has some talent at the edge position, including Josh Sweat, Chase Young, and Dante Fowler. What Lawrence has going for him is most of the top free-agent talent at the position are pure pass-rushers who struggle against the run. The 11-year veteran isn’t the pass-rusher we saw back in 2017 or 2018, but he did record three sacks in four games last year and can still get after the quarterback to go with outstanding defense against the run.
Cowboys Verdict: Lawrence has meant so much to the Cowboys over his 11 years in Dallas. The veteran turned out to be one of the best second-round picks in the history of the franchise. It would be tough if playing in just four games is how his time as a Cowboy ends, but at this point and time, there is a real possibility that will be the case.
The Cowboys have a number of critical free agents of their own they will need to retain if they want to be competitive next season. While Lawrence is close to the top of the list, defenders like Osa Odighizuwa and Jourdan Lewis are younger and playing better at this point in their careers, making them a bigger priority to retain.
Lawrence coming back to Dallas will likely come down to one thing: money. If the 11-year veteran wants to secure a multi-year contract worth a significant AAV, there’s close to zero chance he’ll get that from the Cowboys. But, if Lawrence decides he wants to stay home and will work with Dallas to get a deal done, there’s a path to a potential contract with plenty of incentives that could work for both sides.
Ultimately, this will probably be the last free agent contract Lawrence will sign in his NFL career, making it more likely he’ll look for a multi-year deal with a high AAV. As hard as it may be, Dallas may be staring down the barrel of losing their two most tenured players (Lawrence, Zack Martin) for different reasons this offseason.
Prediction: DeMarcus Lawrence signs a two-year, $30M contract with the Detroit Lions
