One way or another, DeMarcus Lawrence knows he will be back with Cowboys

As DeMarcus Lawrence departed the locker room Monday, he carried with him a handful of opponents jerseys gathered throughout the season. He left the rest of his locker intact, while others gathered up their belongings in oversized trash bags and boxes.

Set to be an unrestricted free agent, Lawrence knows he will be with the Dallas Cowboys in 2018.

"I mean I already know what my situation is," Lawrence said. "I really don't care about it because I already know how the Cowboys feel about me and they know how I feel about the organization. My agent will take care of everything, bro. We know it feels. He knows my right moves, so he'll do it."

Lawrence did not have any emotions as to whether the 6-0 win against the Philadelphia Eagles would be his last.

He knows the Cowboys will either sign him to a lucrative long-term deal or put the franchise tag on him.

Lawrence led the Cowboys with 14.5 sacks in 2017, which was 5.5 more than he recorded in his first three seasons with the team. The biggest reason he put up the numbers was health. He missed the first half of his rookie season with a broken foot and did not record a sack in the regular season. He had eight in 2015, which led the Cowboys, but needed offseason back surgery that played a part in him picking up just one sack in 2016.

He had a second back surgery last offeason and managed to play every game and was named to his first Pro Bowl.

Having moved up to take Lawrence in the second round of the 2014 draft, the Cowboys view him as a long-term piece to their future, but coming to an agreement on a long-term deal could be difficult. If they use the franchise tag, then Lawrence would be guaranteed about $17 million in 2018.

The Cowboys last used the franchise tag on Dez Bryant in 2015, but managed to get a long-term deal done with the receiver before a summer deadline. Before that the Cowboys used the franchise tag on outside linebacker Anthony Spencer in back-to-back seasons.

"I don't know where the chips are going to lay," Lawrence said. "Say they spend all their money, what are they going to do? Tag me. Point blank. Period. So I ain't got time to sit here and think about that. I'm trying to figure out if I'm going to Jamaica or Hawaii."

The other key free agent decision for the Cowboys is linebacker Anthony Hitchens. The Cowboys had some dialogue with his agent during training camp about an extension, but nothing took hold. Hitchens missed the first four games with a knee injury but still managed more than 90 tackles, according to the coaches' breakdown.

Given the injury histories of Sean Lee and Jaylon Smith, plus his versatility, Hitchens is a big piece of the Cowboys' defense. He could be in line for a bigger deal from another team, similar to what happened last offseason with safety Barry Church, who signed a lucrative deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"You never know it is a business until it hits you on the business side," Hitchens said. "It is something that is out of my control and out of Dallas' control. Hopefully I'm back here. This is home for me."

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