Cowboys Rumors: DeMarcus Lawrence 'Isn't Going Anywhere' Despite Turning Down Pay Cut

Despite reportedly declining to take a pay cut, DeMarcus Lawrence may not be leaving the Dallas Cowboys this offseason.

ESPN's Ed Werder spoke to a source who said Lawrence "isn't going anywhere." Absent a renegotiated contract, the 29-year-old is due to count for $27 million against the salary cap in 2022.

The Cowboys are $1.2 million over the cap, per Spotrac, necessitating some difficult decisions in Dallas. Michael Gallup, Connor Williams and Randy Gregory are free agents, and the team will want enough wiggle room to pursue outside free agents and sign its draft picks.

Along with Lawrence, the future of Amari Cooper has come into question with the veteran wide receiver due to collect $22 million.

Cutting Lawrence would saddle the Cowboys with $19 million in dead money but save them $8 million. Designating him as a post-June 1 release would spread the dead money across 2022 ($8 million) and 2023 ($11 million) while saving $19 million for the upcoming year.

Dallas has to weigh those financial benefits against its continued quest for a championship.

A foot injury limited Lawrence to seven games in 2021. He continued to perform at a high level when he was healthy, finishing with 21 tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles.

Because of their financial outlook, it would be difficult for the Cowboys to find a replacement who's as good as Lawrence if he were released. Re-signing Gregory isn't a straightforward pursuit, either.

The dilemma for Jerry Jones and the front office is that Lawrence's return would likely mean having to cut costs elsewhere. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that La'el Collins was garnering trade interest and could be on the move.