and have a lot more in common these days than they did a few weeks ago, both being X factors in what the are attempting to do this offseason. That's because while both believed they were all set to remain with the Dallas Cowboys in 2022, Lonzo Ball Jersey that may or may not still be the case. Lawrence is yet another cornerstone player being asked to bend in a way he would prefer to not, and for a reason the Cowboys believe is nece sary, but actually isn't.Already in discu sions with Cooper regarding his contract, they've now made the predictable move of approaching Lawrence for a dialogue about his, but it didn't go as they hoped it would -- though it went exactly as you would expect. This is especially true when you consider the tone of past negotiations between the two sides.The team's front office recently asked the All-Pro pa s rusher to accept a pay cut for 2022, sources confirmed to CBS Sports, but Lawrence politely (or maybe not so politely) declined. Lawrence is set to earn a base salary of $19 million next season, and the Cowboys are trying to free up tens of millions to help aid their free agency plan that might involve tagging either tight end or defensive end , but Lawrence also knows there's without amputating his direct deposits.It's not unusual for teams to attempt to leverage pay cuts against what they think the player in question can or can't obtain on the open market, but that's also predicated largely in just how sizable the pay cut would be, the player's recently level of play and the timing of a po sible release. Considering each of those things work in Lawrence's favor, a suming it isn't a post-June 1 move, it puts the Cowboys in a pickle, or rather an olive, because it's not truly a problem.They're simply Danny Green Jersey making it one. Like Cooper, , which would instantly free up $11.92 million in cap space -- nearly $4 million more than if they release or trade him (pre-June 1). But if they choose to cut him loose post-June 1, having now gotten a firm "no" regarding a pay cut, they'd gain his $19 million base salary in savings (along with an $8 million dead money hit); an attractive sum that wouldn't do much for them when free agency matters the most (March and April), because they wouldn't see that savings hit their cap George Mikan Jersey until the summer. Pick Six Newsletter Crafted By The Best NFL Experts Get the day's big stories + fun stuff you love like mock drafts, picks and power rankings. I agree to receive the "Pick Six Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. By pre sing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the and acknowledge Paramount's . Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. Sorry! There J.R. Smith Jersey was an error proce sing your subscription. Lawrence, 29, returned from a fractured foot suffered in practice following Week 1 to immediately a sert himself as the best defender on the team not named -- logging 18 quarterback pre sures, three sacks, five pa s break ups, a fumble recovery and a defensive touchdown in his final six regular season games (and is also arguably the best run defender on the team).He was once again the war daddy owner Jerry Jones spoke of just before they awarded him a five-year, $105 million contract extension in 2019, but Lawrence had to fight tooth-and-nail to acquire that contract. They applied the franchise tag to Lawrence in 2018 in lieu of a long-term deal and followed that up with a second tag the following offseason, infuriating Lawrence in the proce s, and driving him to weaponize a shoulder injury to apply the last bit of needed pre sure to the Cowboys to get the deal done and still have time for him to undergo surgery and rehabilitate to be ready for the beginning of the 2019 season.It worked, and one month after being tagged a second time, it was rescinded and the aforementioned deal was agreed to. So now, two years later, no one actually expected Lawrence to walk away from millions when the team has other options, and after putting on the display he did in December ... and not having Randy Gregory tagged or under contract at the moment. Things are becoming much more complicated for the Cowboys than they have to be, and the team is now trying to figure out if they want to part ways with two of their best players -- creating more need at the respective positions in the proce s -- to save money they could instead receive by pulling levers that wouldn't set the talent equation back in Anthony Davis Jersey a major way ahead of a pivotal season for head coach Mike McCarthy and offensive coordinator .And, in the end, both Cooper and Lawrence would like the Cowboys to tell them who they have to be, to get some reciprocity ... that doesn't involve asking for money back.
