Dallas Cowboys: Was tagging DeMarcus Lawrence a good move?

The Dallas Cowboys use the franchise tag on DeMarcus Lawrence. His pay for 2018 is $17 million. Did Dallas get this transaction right or wrong?

The Dallas Cowboys deserve an “A” grade so far, this 2018 offseason.

First, the organization is handling the Dez Bryant situation with a good mindset. How that plays out is anyone’s guess, but it looks like Dallas is in control — not Bryant’s outbursts.

Now, the Dallas Cowboys are using the franchise tag to keep defensive end, DeMarcus Lawrence under a Dallas roof. Good play?

You bet.

I’ve held all along that the Cowboys shouldn’t rush to a major contract. And no, hopefully this doesn’t lead to franchise tag nightmare, mirroring the disaster in Washington with quarterback Kirk Cousins.

No, the Cowboys are smart with their compensation packages in Dallas, understanding others need a little TLC too. So, from an operations point of view, don’t pay a single player top coin based off of one year’s worth of production. Smack. Home run.

Sure, Lawrence killed it in 2017. But if head coach Jason Garrett and company want to bounce away from mediocrity tags, the Dallas Cowboys must get smart with their coin and choices.

Of course, the Cowboys and Lawrence can continue to hammer out details, agree to a new contract by July 15th, and all will be okay. But, why not keep Lawrence in a Dallas uniform, make him prove 2017 wasn’t an anomaly, and go from there?

With quarterback Dak Prescott operating under his rookie contract, now is the time to pounce. Tony Romo is still counting $8.9 million against the cap. With the premium offensive line asking for premium dollar, the Cowboys have to decide where the wealth goes.

This 2018 franchise tag solidifies the Cowboys as smart and savvy spenders. Because, you know how owner Jerry Jones loves to make his splashes. The Cowboys are pushing away their contractual mistakes and nailing down the things they got right. Add this franchise tag in the right column.

Lawrence, who finished with 14.5 sacks in 2017, was two and half sacks away from Chandler Jones, the sack leader. From 2014 to 2016, D-Law finished with just nine sacks in 16 games. Last season was the first time he competed in all 16 games.

Additionally, Lawrence had 75 tackles from 2014 to 2016. In 2017, he had 58.

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I’m not doubting the young 25-year old. I’m saying that the Dallas Cowboys should use caution, and there’s no real big hurry to hand out the bank just yet. DeMarcus Lawrence turns 26 in April, and obviously the second rounder in 2014 (34th overall) has a lot of upside.

Why not wait to see how he plays in 2018, under the franchise tag? The Dallas Cowboys are doing just that, and they got this move 100 percent right.