Can the Cowboys Keep Their Defense Intact?
Photo courtesy of Carol M. Highsmith
Two years ago, the Dallas Cowboys defense was laughable. With a new defensive coordinator, key additions, and veterans stepping up, the defense quickly established dominance. What the Cowboys do next may determine their defensive relevancy.
DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory, two Cowboys defensive linemen, are both key pieces to what makes the Dallas defense go. However, this still may not matter because one, or worse, both of them might potentially be gone next season.
Lawrence has declined the Cowboys wishes of him taking a pay cut. Back in 2018, Lawrence signed a five-year $105 million deal with the Cowboys, per K.D. Drummond’s Cowboys Wire article. This deal came after Lawrence had following seasons with “double digit” sacks, said Zachary Links in a Pro Football Rumors article.
Links adds that Lawrence hasn’t posted more than seven sacks after his 2018 year and has been sidelined for most of this season with a fracture in his foot. Dave Halprin expresses the importance of sacks in his Blogging the Boys article. Still, Halprin points out Lawrence does help the Cowboys defense in other ways.
“We can all appreciate Lawrence’s all-around game,'' said Halprin. His ability to play the run among defensive ends is second to none. He is a tireless worker when he plays, and he can be an emotional inspiration.”
On top of this, in her Fan Sided article, Lauren Barash adds more on Lawrence. Despite missing a part of this season, Barash adds that Lawrence is still one of Dallas’ most reliable players in terms of health as well.
Lawrence has spent his entire career in Dallas so far and has much love there. His refusal to take a pay cut may mean a potential departure from the Cowboys in the future. If the Cowboys don’t want to pay him, Lawrence surely realizes other teams will. This is something that Randy Gregory might pay attention to.
Like Lawrence, Gregory has spent his whole career with the Cowboys up to this point. Coming out of Nebraska, Gregory was a highly touted prospect. There may have been mentions of him being a first rounder the year he came out for the NFL draft.
Off the field issues, one being him failing a drug test at the combine, testing positive for marijuana, per Kim Jones’ NFL article, caused him to slip in the draft. The Cowboys were able to draft him in the second round, seen as a steal. While with the Cowboys, Gregory has still struggled with drug use.
His actions off the field have caused him to miss NFL games. When on the field, he has shown promise of a good player. Recently, Gregory has stayed out of trouble, and hopely things stay that way.
Gregory also had six sacks this past year and is trending upwards in his play, said Mike Fisher in his Fan Nation article. It’s now time for a deal to be done due to the franchise tag going to Cowboys Tight End Dalton Schultz instead. Fisher shared that the Cowboys hope that their support of Gregory with his off the field issues will warrant that he takes a “hometown discount.”
Hopefully, Gregory remains a Cowboy and gets a deal he deserves.
When DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory are on the field together, this defense is certainly a sight to see. As a fan, I feel that it would be in our best interest to work hard on keeping both of them around.
They’re an important part of a Cowboys team that’s ready to win now.