DeMarcus Lawrence EXCLUSIVE: 'Cowboys for Life' Star Talks 1-on-1 on New Contract
FRISCO - DeMarcus Lawrence and the Dallas Cowboys have agreed to a three-year, $40 million deal with $30 million guaranteed, a deal that is just one of the reasons that Tank tells CowboysSI.com that he's "excited to be a Cowboy for life.''
On the morning after Monday agreeing to the restructured deal that creates some 2022 salary cap room while simultaneously keeping one of the best players on the team, Lawrence visited with CowboysSI.com to express his pleasure with the compromise - and his goals for a Dallas team that has looked to him for leadership during his Pro Bowl career.
"That's the plan,'' Lawrence said when we asked him about Super Bowl aspirations. "To be able to have talented guys ... also coming back, that helps me to elevate my game.''
Lawrence's remarks to us came just before the turn of events that saw Randy Gregory bolt Dallas in favor of the Denver Broncos. But the cap room remains - (Bobby Wagner, Chandler Jones or Von Miller, anybody?) - as do the aspirations.
The contract for Lawrence, who turns 30 in April, makes NFL history of a sort. The Pro Bowler's guaranteed money is unprecedented for a defensive end as he set to be is the first defensive end in league history to play seven seasons with a fully guaranteed contract.
"#HomeForGood," said Lawrence on Twitter in reaction to the Cowboys contract.
Since entering the league in 2014, Lawrence has 48.5 sacks, 100 quarterback hits, 17 forced fumbles, and 321 tackles … All while showing durability on the field. Before missing 10 games last season, Lawrence hadn't missed a game since 2016.
DeMarcus Lawrence
DeMarcus Lawrence
DeMarcus Lawrence
Last season, Lawrence - an iron man during his time in Dallas, even through injuries - suffered a broken bone in his foot. He played in seven games with three sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception returned for a touchdown. The Cowboys look forward to his return.
Jerry Jones
Micah Parsons
Micah Parsons
And so does Gregory.
"I'm so excited to be a Cowboy for Life,'' he told us. "I made Dallas my home, and I'm glad to still be a part of the team.''