Report: Cowboys franchise tag Demarcus Lawrence

As expected, Demarcus Lawrence is getting the franchise tag from the Dallas Cowboys.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Monday that the Cowboys would be giving Lawrence the franchise tag for the second consecutive season.

Source: The #Cowboys are franchise tagging star pass rusher DeMarcus Lawrence.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 4, 2019

Lawrence said last summer he wouldn't sign it. And he has been disappointed in the #Cowboys' stance on a long-term deal. Could be a long summer … https://t.co/I9diUFNtWW

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 4, 2019

It became clear things were headed this way over the weekend, when contract negotiations between Lawrence and the Cowboys were going poorly. The big question now becomes what Lawrence’s next move will be. He did not want to play on the franchise tag again, and it’s likely that he’ll skip out on some offseason activities at minimum as a result, and potentially much more than that.

Lawrence contributed 10.5 sacks to the Cowboys last season, following up a 14.5 sack season in 2017.