National Football League

Would Cowboys be smart to cut Amari Cooper, DeMarcus Lawrence?

Published Mar. 7, 2022 5:44 p.m. ET

The Dallas Cowboys are reportedly close to parting ways with both Amari Cooper and DeMarcus Lawrence.

In the latter's case, the two-time Pro Bowl defensive end declined to take a pay cut ranging from $5-$10 million according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Dallas sits a little more than $21 million above the cap, and Lawrence will rake in $19 million in base salary should the squad keep him on its roster.

The 29-year-old inked a five-year, $105 million contract with Dallas in 2019, but the team has a potential out built into the deal ahead of this season. If Lawrence is traded or released ahead of the league year, it will free up $8 million in cap space. On the flip side, restructuring Lawrence's deal would open up $11.92 million in cap space, but that doesn't appear to be an option.

The same theme applies to their star wide receiver Cooper.

Coop's own deal is strikingly similar to D-Law's: five years, $100 million until 2024. Like Lawrence's contract, a potential out is built into Cooper's contract, which will free up $6 million in dead cap if he's let go.

Dallas Cowboys are going all in on Dak Prescott

Colin Cowherd explains why cutting Amari Cooper and DeMarcus Lawrence would mean the Cowboys are making a commitment to get Dak Prescott more money, which he says would be a mistake.

Both men will carve up a huge chunk of Dallas' salary ($49 million) if they're retained, but restructuring the pair's deals could net up to $25 million in additional cap space.

Nonetheless, money is not the only issue the team is evaluating.

From a production standpoint, both players have brought the squad concerns. Lawrence played in just seven games this past season, missing 10 contests after breaking the fifth metatarsal bone in his foot. Cooper was more available in 2021 but finished second on the team in both receptions (68) and yards (865), despite being listed as the 'Boys WR1 on their depth chart.

In the cases of each, it appears that Dallas is leaning towards cutting them.

But is that the right move for the Cowboys?

Shannon Sharpe says no, stating that both Cooper and Lawrence play invaluable roles with the team.

"Once Dak Prescott got Amari Cooper, he took off," Sharpe argued Monday on "Undisputed."

"[Prescott] gets Amari Cooper, and immediately you see the progression. D-Law doesn't have the sack totals of a Myles Garrett, or T.J. Watt, or the Bosas. But he's tremendous at stopping the run. Pro Football Focus says he's the best at stopping the run. He's not a 12-14-sack guy, he's more of a 7-10 guy. Michael Gallup has missed way more time than Cooper, he's coming off a torn ACL, and you want to do a long-term deal with him? D-Law is perfect for Dan Quinn. It's going to be a tremendous loss if they lose both of these guys."

Skip Bayless was more indecisive in his evaluation.

"My head says [the Cowboys' trouble meter if they lose the two] is at 9. My heart says 3," Bayless said.

"My head is telling me the window has officially closed on this team. Why? Dak Prescott. Because my quarterback bled Jerry for every last penny that he could get from him, they're in this predicament. Amari Cooper just disappears on the road too much. [Jon] Gruden got rid of him because of his low motor. When it's time to play in big games, you cannot trust him. When he first got there, he changed Dak's life. But how many times [recently] does he just disappear or go ‘no mas’?"

Cowboys to likely cut Lawrence and Cooper

Skip Bayless decides on a scale of 1-10 how much the potential losses of DeMarcus Lawrence and Amari Cooper would hurt the Cowboys next season.

Monetary issues are usually not abundant for Jerry Jones' crew, but this offseason is presenting an anomaly for the Cowboys, and their wallet woes could result in the loss of two of their biggest contributors over the past few years.