OXNARD, Calif. – It’s hard to believe that DeMarcus Lawrence is about to start his eighth season in a Dallas Cowboys uniform.
But in order to keep wearing the star, he had to accept a new contract.
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Gone is his 5-year, $105 million deal that guaranteed him $65 million back in 2019. Now, he has agreed to a 3-year, $40 million deal, with an additional $30 million guaranteed. The new deal makes him the first defensive lineman to have his contract guaranteed for the first seven seasons, according to NFL.com.
Does Lawrence consider himself a strength of the team?
“It feels good, but it takes extra commitment,” points out Lawrence. “We’ve got a lot of young guys looking up to you. You understand that. You are one of the big tools on defense, so you really want to tread lightly and make sure you’re doing everything you can to help us out.”
Tank checks into training camp looking leaner with a new shorter haircut.
“I wished the body matched the hairdo,” Lawrence joked. “I’m just thankful. I’ll regrow my hair later if I can. Hopefully my body catches up to my face.”
Lawrence is quick to credit his practice time with arguably the best left tackle in the NFL, Tyron Smith, for almost a decade of keeping him relevant.
“That’s a testament to my whole career going up against Tyron, " Lawrence said. “It’s 100% effort every time you go up against him.”
Lawrence suffered a setback last season when he broke his fifth metatarsal in his foot after week one of the season during practice. He wasn’t able to play until the last seven games of the season, and still he scored three sacks , 21 tackles and one interception. In his career, Tank has 48 1/2 sacks that has resulted in two Pro Bowl appearances. Does he think he can make it again?
“This late in my career it’s a blessing if I make the Pro Bowl,” Lawrence said. “At the end of the day, it’s all about team wins and making sure we make it to the Super Bowl.”