The Dallas Cowboys have once again given star pass rusher DeMarcus Lawrence the franchise tag. This will be the second-straight season that the defensive end has been franchised, which isn't a big surprise as 2019 free agency opens next week.
Lawrence accepted the tag last year and played on a one-year deal for about $17 million. If he does it again this year, he will count $20.5 million against Dallas' salary cap.
Source: The #Cowboys are franchise tagging star pass rusher DeMarcus Lawrence.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 4, 2019
#Cowboys tell us they've informed Tank Lawrence camp of the tag intentions – and that they wish for negotiations to continue – which they can, on long-term deal, until July 17.
— fishsports ✭ (@fishsports) March 4, 2019
This move comes as no shock after recent reports that the Cowboys and Lawrence were nowhere close in their long-term contract negotiations.
Last year, DeMarcus promised that he would not play 2019 under a second franchise tag. If he stands his ground, we could see a holdout situation similar to what the Steelers went through in 2018 with Le'Veon Bell.
However, we still have some time before a holdout becomes a real concern. Right now the Cowboys are just securing their exclusivity in talks with Lawrence as the offseason continues.
