Cowboys’ $40 Million Star Considered ‘Top’ Trade Candidate

Cowboys’ $40 Million Star Considered ‘Top’ Trade Candidate

The guy with the longest contract with the Dallas

Cowboys could be a trade candidate. According

to Anthony DiBona of Pro Football Network,

DeMarcus Lawrence, a defensive end with the

Cowboys, is Dallas’ “top” trade candidate for this

season. As DiBona notes, Lawrence, a member of

the Cowboys since 2014, is about to enter the last

year of a three-year, $40 million contract. DiBona

says, “DeMarcus Lawrence isn’t getting any

younger and is heading into the final year of his

three-year contract with the Dallas Cowboys,

while Micah Parsons is clearly a foundational

piece on the edge for the team.” By moving

Lawrence, Dallas might really save $10 million,

giving their young pass rushers more

opportunities. Marshawn Kneeland was chosen

by Dallas in the second round of the 2024 NFL

Draft, potentially signaling the end of Lawrence’s

tenure.

DeMarcus Lawrence Remains Elite Defensive End

Despite his recent selection to his fourth Pro

Bowl and his second consecutive Pro Bowl, 32-

year-old Lawrence is still performing at a high

level. He finished the season with 50 tackles, four

sacks, and a career-best six pass deflections. The

advanced analytics present a different image

than the individual data, which don’t seem all

that great. Lawrence had a career-high defensive

rating of 91.3 and a run defensive grade of 92.4

last season, per Pro Football Focus. Lawrence

placed second in run defence grade and sixth

overall among edge rushers. The idea of the

Cowboys trading Lawrence from a salary cap

standpoint makes sense because the Cowboys

would save $10 million. However, they’d also

absorb a dead money cap hit of nearly $10.5

million.

Why Sam Williams Injury Negates Potential DeMarcus Lawrence Trade

If the Cowboys had plenty of depth on the edge, it

would make sense to salvage some value from

one of their best players by offloading him before

to the trade deadline. The issue is that, as a result

of Sam Williams’ ACL injury that ended the

season, the team now lacks depth. How well

rookie Marshawn Kneeland performs in his first

season will play a significant influence in

whether or not the Cowboys actually pursue a

trade involving Lawrence. Dallas has high

expectations for Kneeland, who was chosen with

a second-round choice (No. 56 overall) in this

year’s draft, particularly in light of Williams’

injury. Big things were in store for [Williams].

He was likely to play 70–75 percent of the time, at

the very least, according to Cowboys defensive

coordinator Mike Zimmer. All we can do is

rearrange the chess pieces and look for

alternative solutions. .. Williams was supposed to

be out there with Parsons and (DeMarcus

Lawrence) as we were shifting (Micah) Parsons

about a little. Marshawn Kneeland has

performed admirably. He would have played

anyhow, but I believe he will now need to play

frequently.” Considering Lawrence is still

playing at a high level and when factoring in

Williams’ season- ending injury, it’s hard to

envision the Cowboys trading the 32-year-old

veteran — especially when they have hopes of

winning a Super Bowl this year. As tempting as it

may be to trade Lawrence for draft picks before

his prime is completely over, the more logical

scenario sees the Cowboys retain the veteran

defensive end through the end of the 2024

season.

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