Dallas Cowboys: This will tell us a lot about who Dallas drafts by Daniel Ruppert The cost of doing business is rising and the contract demands for two Dallas Cowboys targets are higher than anticipated – can both players still be signed long-term? At one point it seemed like a forgone conclusion the Dallas Cowboys would be adding Earl Thomas and re-signing DeMarcus Lawrence long-term, but as information leaks regarding their specific contract demands, things don’t seem quite as inevitable as they once did. Further mucking up the waters, is the unexpected signing of once-retired Jason Witten. His $3.5-$5 million contract doesn’t break the bank, by any means, but it certainly impacts the available funds to work with this season. Now, many are concerned the Dallas Cowboys won’t have enough cap space to sign Thomas and/or Tank. DeMarcus “Tank” Lawrence Lawrence was slapped with the franchise tag yesterday, so it’s not like the Dallas Cowboys are going to lose him in free agency. But when the 2018 season wrapped up, we were left with the impression he’d get locked up early without use of the franchise tag. This would ensure his satisfaction with his employer and expedite the impending offseason surgery and rehab. As you can expect, Tank isn’t exactly thrilled about playing under the tag again and is now a legitimate threat to delay his offseason surgery and even holdout should a long-term deal not get done. The Cowboys have made an offer but clearly Team Tank is looking for more. It’s hard to know what he wants exactly, but it’s safe to say he’s operating in Khalil Mack territory. The next key date in the DeMarcus Lawrence talks is July 15. If he doesn’t have a long-term deal done, then he will have to play the season on the $20.5 million tag. The Cowboys want to get a long-term deal done and there are indications talks will… https://t.co/vtUoiV0kvd — Todd Archer (@toddarcher) March 4, 2019 Earl Thomas When Earl was back with the Seattle Seahawks, he was publicly disgruntled because he wanted a new contract. After Eric Berry signed his big deal in Kansas City, Earl suddenly felt underpaid. Seattle didn’t want to make him the highest paid safety so they let him play out his deal. As we all know, a broken leg prematurely ended Thomas’ season. His injury, combined with a relatively deep free agent safety class, left many with the impression (myself included) the price of doing business with Earl dropped and a multi-year deal averaging $10 per season and with $30 million guaranteed would be enough to bring in Earl. Earl apparently doesn’t see things that way… Earl Thomas wants to become the highest-paid safety in the NFL, reportedly offering no "hometown discount" to the Cowboys, so he likely finds more money elsewhere https://t.co/sqvIXQMXJa — ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 1, 2019 Seeking north of $13 million per season with majority guaranteed, Earl’s signing in Dallas doesn’t seem quite so imminent. Especially since Dallas prioritizes re-signing Dak Prescott and Tank to multi-year deals above anyone else. So, the question we ask is whether or not the Cowboys can afford to sign long-term deals for Lawrence and Thomas this offseason. Instead of thinking of the cap on the level of our own personal finances, we should think of it in more macro terms like a national economy. Savvy accounting can make just about anything happen and affording something is more about willingness than it is about hard and fast financial rules. No, NFL teams can’t print money at will (frankly, neither should a national government) but teams can operate relatively unencumbered year-to-year as long as they properly evaluate players (both the cheap ones and the expensive ones). This isn’t to say teams can spend without any regard. Teams can still get in salary cap hell even with that savvy accounting. Poor multi-year investments and not enough usable young cheap labor is a recipe for disaster. But rarely, if ever, do teams get in trouble signing good players to market-fitting prices. It’s the underachieving players that ultimately doom a franchise. So can Dallas afford to sign Lawrence and Thomas and still eventually re-sign Dak, Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, Byron Jones, and Jaylon Smith over the next couple seasons? Again, “yes”. As long as Dallas isn’t misevaluating players, they can afford to pay big money to big-time producers. Cap space can be manipulated but it’s still finite. Don’t assume these players are asking for more than Dallas can afford. They can afford it. The question is do they feel like paying it. Earl Thomas and DeMarcus Lawrence are asking for more money than we once thought but given the current state of the Dallas Cowboys, they can afford to sign anyone they want. The question is – how bad do they want these guys…<doc-sep>Cowboys Rumors: Demarcus Lawrence Needs ‘Miracle Offer’ for New Contract - Scott Polacek, Bleacher Report Will Dallas be able to reach a deal with Tank soon? It does not appear so. Defensive end Demarcus Lawrence has established himself as a dominant force in the Dallas Cowboys defensive front the past two years, but the NFC East team is reportedly still “not close” to re-signing him. Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram reported the news, noting a deal is not expected by Tuesday unless there is an “unexpected miracle offer.” Tuesday’s date (March 5) is notable because it is the deadline for the Cowboys to decide whether they will use the franchise tag on him for the second year in a row. Blake Schuster of Yahoo Sports noted Lawrence “has expressed a desire to avoid the tag,” but there is still no contract in place after his representatives met with the Cowboys brass in Indianapolis during the NFL Scouting Combine. The Cowboys are not close with DeMarcus Lawrence. Don't expect a deal by March 5, barring unexpected miracle offer — Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) March 3, 2019 Reports: Cowboys’ Cole Beasley seeking $20 million guaranteed in free agency - SportsDay Lawrence is not the only free agent that the Cowboys have to worry about. Cole Beasley is asking for $20 million guaranteed. Per a source, the Cowboys want Cole Beasley to come back but also also struggling with his contract demands of $20 million guaranteed — Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) March 3, 2019 A $20 million deal would make Beasley one of the top 15 paid receivers for guaranteed money in the NFL, tying him with Emmanuel Sanders and DeSean Jackson, according to spotrac.com Beasley had a resurgent season after struggling in 2017. Beasley had 672 receiving yards and three touchdowns, including the game-changer in Cowboys’ season finale against the New York Giants. Cowboys position series: Dak Prescott is here to stay, but which QB can hold on to the backup role? - David Moore, SportsDay Dak is entrenched behind center, but will Cowboys look to add a veteran behind him? Address in free agency The team’s template not long ago was to have a veteran backup at the position. Jon Kitna, who will serve as quarterbacks coach this season, is an example. That’s not been the case the past two seasons, and it won’t be the case in ‘19. Prescott’s durability minimizes the premium placed on a veteran insurance policy. The club will spend that money elsewhere with an eye toward developing young players behind him on the roster. Jerry Jones: Jason Witten won’t be ‘progress-stopper’; Cowboys could still draft TE with their first pick - Jon Machota, SportsDay The shocking return of Jason Witten caused many to wonder if that would make the Cowboys think twice about adding another tight end. Jerry Jones says that is not the case. ”It won’t deter us in any way of using our first pick for a tight end, if we have the opportunity to,” Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said Saturday. Dallas doesn’t have a first-round pick, so Jones would be referring to No. 58 overall, the Cowboys’ second-round selection. The addition of Witten has some concerned about the 36-year-old taking snaps away from younger tight ends the Cowboys are trying to develop. Jones said he doesn’t see Witten as being a “progress-stopper.” ”While we had functioning blocking and functioning execution with our tight ends, we still weren’t what we were when Jason was there the year before,” Jones said. “And that’s not to criticize anybody. It’s just that we weren’t. He will elevate us there. So no, I don’t think he’s a progress-stopper. Scout’s Notebook: Who Stood Out At TE, WR? - Bryan Broaddus, The Mothership So with that in mind, which tight ends impressed in Indy? Noah Fant definitely did. Really nice day of athletic testing for TE Noah Fant from Iowa. Not only did Fant run in the low 4.5’s, he also had a 39.5-inch vertical jump as well as a 4.22 20-yard shuttlethat ranked second best in the group. Where Fant had a little trouble during the workout was the adjustment of his hands. He didn’t catch the ball as cleanly as he would haveliked and he was late another time in missing a pass. I still believe he will be selected after his college teammate T.J.Hockenson in this draft. "In the mix to be the first TE [taken in the draft]. "@HawkeyeFootball TE Noah Fant runs a lightning fast 4.51u 40-yard dash! : #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/54FcRhqivJ — NFL (@NFL) March 2, 2019 Broaddus also gives a little bit of a sleeper to look out for. Keep an eye on TE Kahale Warring from San Diego State. Dane Brugler was giving me his back story of not playing football until his senior year of high school, which sounds crazy. Warring has played all different sports in his life,including water polo. I really liked what I saw from him, not only his 4.68 40-yard dash but the way he caught the ball. I thought he had one of the best reps when it came to the gauntlet drill. His path was dead straight with not a hint of weave. His hands were in position and quick throughout the drill. 2019 NFL Combine: Which Participants Have the Dallas Cowboys Met With? - Brian Martin, Inside The Star Who has Dallas met with in Indianapolis? Here are the players the Dallas Cowboys have met with at the NFL Combine so far: David Montgomery, RB, Iowa State Trayveon Williams, RB, Texas A&M T. J. Hockensen, TE, Iowa Dax Raymond, TE, Utah State Stanley Morgan Jr. WR, Nebraska Dalton Risner, OT, Kansas State Ethan Greenidge, OT, Villanova Nate Davis, OG, Charlotte Kinsley Keke, DT, Texas A&M Charles Omenihu, DL, Texas (Senior Bowl, informal meeting) Terry Beckner, DT, Missouri Jonathan Abram, S, Mississippi State Juan Thornhill, S, Virginia Chauncey Garner-Johnson, S, Florida Amani Oruwariye, CB, Penn State Isaiah Johnson, CB, Houston Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said how they are going to use Amari Cooper keeps him excited, keeps him from missing No. 1 draft pick - Clarence Hill, The Star-Telegram The Cowboys do not have a first-round pick, but they do have Amari Cooper. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said how they are going to use Amari Cooper keeps him excited, keeps him from missing No. 1 draft pick NFL Combine 2019 Results: Sunday Highlights, Reaction and Recap - Joseph Zucker, Bleacher Report Here are some of the biggest moments from Sunday’s combine day.<doc-sep>Ron Jenkins/Associated Press Dallas Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones said Tuesday that he's "very confident" the team can come to a long-term contract extension with star pass-rusher Demarcus Lawrence, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News: Those remarks come after Lawrence released a video while wearing a shirt that read, "Money I need you," which appeared to be a not-so-subtle message for the Cowboys. Lawrence, 26, registered 64 combined tackles, 10.5 sacks and a fumble recovery in 2018, earning a grade of 88.0 from Pro Football Focus (ninth among edge-rushers). He's accumulated 34 sacks in 64 career games. He'd surely attract plenty of interest as a free agent, putting some pressure on the Cowboys to sign him to a long-term extension. The team does have the franchise tag as a backup plan until the 4 p.m. ET deadline March 5, which would cost the team around $20 million, though neither side seems excited by that prospect. Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram reported last week that the Cowboys will "take a wait-and-see approach with defensive end Lawrence before tagging him for the second straight season and potentially beginning a contentious negotiation that could result in a holdout." He also reported that Lawrence has "no interest in playing under the tag for a second straight season." It's unlikely either side wants a lengthy showdown, but the Cowboys aren't going to let Lawrence hit free agency March 13, meaning the possibility of a franchise tag looms. It's unclear if Lawrence would consider responding to that move by going the Le'Veon Bell route and sitting out a season, but if the two sides don't come to an agreement in the next week, the game of chicken will begin.<doc-sep>
The NFL Scouting Combine serves a dual role in the offseason. Of course, the most publicized one is that front offices gather in Indianapolis annually to take a gander at the Underwear Olympics. The top 300 or so prospects from the collegiate ranks gather to go through medical evaluations, athletic tests and drill evaluations in a controlled environment so teams know as much about the prospects as possible before April’s draft. The second, less publicized aspect of the combine is that agents for every NFL player also descend into Indy, and there are numerous happenstance encounters between player reps and front offices. While there’s a legal tampering period which takes place for two days before the start of the league year, this next week is the illegal tampering period. Parameters of free agent deals take place all the time in Indy while both sides gauge the market that will explode in a couple of weeks. The Cowboys don’t need to tamper with DeMarcus Lawrence. They’ve had the ability to negotiate with him since the last play of the year after a season-long moratorium thanks to the 2018 franchise tag has kept them away from the negotiating table since July. The Cowboys have the option of putting a second tag on Lawrence, for over $20 million in salary and cap hit, but have not done so as of yet. The deadline to tag a player is March 5, and while the Cowboys are prepared to use it, they want to work out a long-term deal with Lawrence and are holding out hope it can be done prior to the tag deadline. Cowboys COO Stephen Jones on DeMarcus Lawrence: “We’ve made our first offer, and we’re gonna meet with his representatives here at the combine. … I don’t know about the timing, but I’m confident we can get a deal done.” — Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) February 26, 2019 Lawrence led the team with 10.5 sacks in 2018, after also leading them with 14.5 the prior season. He’s emerged as a double-edged sword of a defensive end, just as stout against the run as he is against the pass. The 2014 second-round pick was more than willing to play 2018 under the tag, but he has made it clear it’s time for the Cowboys to offer him long-term security. Both sides, fortunately, agree there. Now they just need to agree on a number. Dallas likely cost itself millions by not making a deal last offseason. Whatever the new number, if no long-term deal is agreed to by March 5, the team will likely tag Lawrence. That will instantly take over $20 million away from the Cowboys’ offseason cap, an incentive to get a deal done. Thanks to prorated allocation of signing bonus across multiple years, the cap hit on a long-term deal will be much lower than $20 million, even if Lawrence receives more than that in his first year of the new deal. Cowboys Wire recently took a deep dive into what Lawrence could command and arrived at a five-year deal for $110 million with $52 million guaranteed.