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DCC 4Life
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[h=1][/h] The numbers are in on DeMarcus Lawrence's contract extension.
Common knowledge following the breaking news that the veteran defensive end would sign a longterm deal with the Dallas Cowboys was the term and max value of he contract, set to lock in at five years for no more than $105 million. The impact his deal would have on the team's salary cap going forward was still veiled though, as it was predicated upon not simply the amount of guaranteed money, but also how it breaks down each year in relation to his base salary and any roster and/or signing bonuses. With all of that information now received, we can dissect the Cowboys' cap for 2019 and beyond — specific to Lawrence's impact thereof.
The club will pay the All-Pro a chunky $65 million in guarantees over the next half-decade, and according to Albert Breer of NFL Network, here's how it all looks:
2019 - $25 million signing bonus, $4.6 million roster bonus, $1.5 million base salary
2020 - $16.9 million base (fully guaranteed)
2021 - $17 million base (injury guaranteed)
2022 - $19 million base
2023 - $21 million base
From the above annual breakdown, we can ascertain the cap savings/damage accordingly:
2019 - $11.1 million cap hit, $58.9 million dead money, $47.8 million loss if cut
2020 - $21.9 million cap hit, $53.9 million dead money, $32 million loss if cut
2021 - $22 million cap hit, $32 million dead money, $10 million loss if cut
*2022 - $24 million cap hit, $10 million dead money, $14 million cap savings if cut
*2023 - $26 million cap hit, $5 million dead money, $21 million cap savings if cut
(* denotes first year cap savings surpasses dead money, if released)
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It's key to note that 2021 is injury guaranteed and not fully guaranteed, although it converts to the latter when the new league year opens that season if Lawrence is healthy.
Additionally, you'll notice the deal is structured in a way that truly makes it a three-year contract, considering the Cowboys have an out beginning in 2022. That's the first year they'll be out of the red as it relates to dead money, and can land cap savings if they decide to walk away from Lawrence. This talking point was a key reason the veteran wanted to land as much payout as possible in Year One through Year Three, and he's done it in spades. His $31.5 million payout for 2019 will be the most in NFL history for a non-quarterback, surpassing that of Khalil Mack by $500,000.
While that may be a shock to the system of some, it isn't when you factor in how the deal structure saves the Cowboys $10.4 million in cap space this coming season. They were originally prepared to pay Lawrence $20.5 million in fully guaranteed money under a second franchise tag, but will now see their cap space buoy to roughly $19.66 million. When you subtract what's earmarked for the coming draft, barring any new acquisitions, releases, pay cuts or restructures, the club has plenty of space to maneuver going forward.
Essentially, they're now ranked 13th in available cap space against the other 31 teams.
Up next will likely come the extensions on Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper, with Ezekiel Elliott not far behind. The deal on Cooper will lessen the 2019 cap hit that much more, seeing as he's set to hit the cap for $13.92 million this coming season. Even if Prescott's deal lands first, which is highly likely but not promised, the move on Cooper simply frees money up to circle back and secure Elliott's extension.
The extension on Lawrence is masterfully structured and a big win for all, as well as a reminder there is no such thing as "cap hell" when you know how it actually works. The Cowboys were already in a good space, cap-wise, but now they're in a great one.
Common knowledge following the breaking news that the veteran defensive end would sign a longterm deal with the Dallas Cowboys was the term and max value of he contract, set to lock in at five years for no more than $105 million. The impact his deal would have on the team's salary cap going forward was still veiled though, as it was predicated upon not simply the amount of guaranteed money, but also how it breaks down each year in relation to his base salary and any roster and/or signing bonuses. With all of that information now received, we can dissect the Cowboys' cap for 2019 and beyond — specific to Lawrence's impact thereof.
The club will pay the All-Pro a chunky $65 million in guarantees over the next half-decade, and according to Albert Breer of NFL Network, here's how it all looks:
2019 - $25 million signing bonus, $4.6 million roster bonus, $1.5 million base salary
2020 - $16.9 million base (fully guaranteed)
2021 - $17 million base (injury guaranteed)
2022 - $19 million base
2023 - $21 million base
From the above annual breakdown, we can ascertain the cap savings/damage accordingly:
2019 - $11.1 million cap hit, $58.9 million dead money, $47.8 million loss if cut
2020 - $21.9 million cap hit, $53.9 million dead money, $32 million loss if cut
2021 - $22 million cap hit, $32 million dead money, $10 million loss if cut
*2022 - $24 million cap hit, $10 million dead money, $14 million cap savings if cut
*2023 - $26 million cap hit, $5 million dead money, $21 million cap savings if cut
(* denotes first year cap savings surpasses dead money, if released)
__
It's key to note that 2021 is injury guaranteed and not fully guaranteed, although it converts to the latter when the new league year opens that season if Lawrence is healthy.
Additionally, you'll notice the deal is structured in a way that truly makes it a three-year contract, considering the Cowboys have an out beginning in 2022. That's the first year they'll be out of the red as it relates to dead money, and can land cap savings if they decide to walk away from Lawrence. This talking point was a key reason the veteran wanted to land as much payout as possible in Year One through Year Three, and he's done it in spades. His $31.5 million payout for 2019 will be the most in NFL history for a non-quarterback, surpassing that of Khalil Mack by $500,000.
While that may be a shock to the system of some, it isn't when you factor in how the deal structure saves the Cowboys $10.4 million in cap space this coming season. They were originally prepared to pay Lawrence $20.5 million in fully guaranteed money under a second franchise tag, but will now see their cap space buoy to roughly $19.66 million. When you subtract what's earmarked for the coming draft, barring any new acquisitions, releases, pay cuts or restructures, the club has plenty of space to maneuver going forward.
Essentially, they're now ranked 13th in available cap space against the other 31 teams.
Up next will likely come the extensions on Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper, with Ezekiel Elliott not far behind. The deal on Cooper will lessen the 2019 cap hit that much more, seeing as he's set to hit the cap for $13.92 million this coming season. Even if Prescott's deal lands first, which is highly likely but not promised, the move on Cooper simply frees money up to circle back and secure Elliott's extension.
The extension on Lawrence is masterfully structured and a big win for all, as well as a reminder there is no such thing as "cap hell" when you know how it actually works. The Cowboys were already in a good space, cap-wise, but now they're in a great one.
