Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys hesitant in committing to Amari Cooper, Demarcus Lawrence

Published Mar. 1, 2022 3:12 p.m. ET

The majority outlook on the Dallas Cowboys' future is as murky as ever.

That's the case for the team's fanbase, which just passed the 25-year mark without a Super Bowl victory

And as of late, that uncertainty has stemmed from the front office as well.

The Cowboys went all-in on a win-now ploy after doling out big dividends to some of their biggest stars, including a hefty four-year, $160 million deal dispersed to QB Dak Prescott in 2021.

In addition to Prescott's lump sum, the team inked a five-year, $100 million contract extension with wide receiver Amari Cooper in 2020, and signed Ezekiel Elliott to a six-year $90 million deal the season prior. The same year, they shored up their defensive front by extending edge rusher Demarcus Lawrence to a five-year, $105 million deal.

The star power is abundant at "The Star," but the team's spangled roster has yet to satisfy the wishes of the front office, and that's caused the Jones family tremendous concern. It's also made them noncommittal to retaining some of their big-name playmakers in the long haul.

When directly asked Monday whether Cooper would be a part of the team in 2022, team Executive VP Stephen Jones was wavering in his answer: "It’s too early for me to address that yet. I mean, we’re continuing to have conversations.

"A lot of things affect [Cooper’s status]," Jones added. "Obviously, we’ve been so fortunate to have those three great receivers on our roster and obviously that’s hard to keep doing under a salary cap. And certainly [Cedrick Wilson] did a really nice job for us and he’s up [for contract]. So there’s some moving parts there that we’ll have to continue to massage as we move forward."

Jones' ethos was similar on Lawrence.

"Same thing," Jones said. "I mean, we go through every player on our roster. I know you guys want to make target guys that you may be looking at and usually those are the guys who are making a lot of money. That's what comes with making money, unfortunately, is the value there. And certainly we'll work through that.

"We're talking about two great football players in DeMarcus Lawrence and Amari Cooper. I hold them [high] in terms of what we think about them. But we also have to put the full 53-man roster together."

However, in reference to Elliott, Jones' answer was resolute.

"I want Zeke on my team," Jones asserted. "You talk about playing through some injuries, some things that are hard — I mean, he is a competitor. I think he’s a damn good running back, and I think he’s going to help us win this year. He’s going to be here, no question. We’re fortunate to have him."

From a logistical standpoint, Jones' comments are unsurprising.

Elliott's contract is fully guaranteed for the 2022 season, while the ‘Boys have potential outs built into Cooper and Lawrence’s deals prior to the league year's inception.

Cooper’s $20 million base salary officially becomes guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2022 league year. If they retain him, he'll cost $22 million against the cap. If they cut him, that number drops to $6 million.

And if you combine Cooper and Lawrence's salaries, the pair costs $49 million against the salary cap in 2022. That spells trouble for a squad that's already $21 million over that threshold.

But in Greg Jennings' mind, Cooper's value is too lofty to let him go.

"From a football perspective, I'm going with Amari Cooper," Jennings said Tuesday on "Undisputed."

"But from a relationships perspective, because of the relationship Zeke and Dak have, Ezekiel Elliott [is more important.] It's up to Dallas to choose what's more important. Will Dak Prescott be at ease because he can approach every game with his best friend? Yes, but from a production perspective, you have to go with Amari Cooper. He's been one of the most consistent guys that you have when he's healthy. He produces, he doesn't complain. All he does is make you better."

Dallas has a number of key decisions to make in the near future, which include designations on a slew of free agents. Those names include Randy Gregory, Dalton Schultz, Jayron Kearse and Leighton Vander Esch.

Jones has made it clear that Zeke will continue to feed in the Cowboys offense, but for the rest of the aforementioned men, their meal tickets have yet to be punched.