David Irving, a defensive end of Dallas Cowboys, signed his restricted free-agent tender. This one-year contract will bring him around $2.9 million.
Irving was at Star in Frisco on Monday for the start of teams off-season program. On the same day, he signed his contract showing his commitment to the group and the organization. Having Irving for one more year is beneficial both for Cowboys and the player. He will have a chance to build on his last season which was impressive during the games he played. He missed eight matches. First four due to suspensions, and last four due to a concussion. If he manages to stay healthy for all 16 duels, with one sack per game on average he had last season, his presence on Cowboys D would be immense. Also, with a performance like that, he would be in for a massive paycheck at the end of 2018.
Prior to the off-season Dallas Cowboys front office was contemplating whether they want a first or second-round tender on him. The second round was a cheaper option but one that gave other teams a chance to sign him.
Luckily for Cowboys, no one made an offer, and the player signed the deal. $2.9 million doesn’t sound like too much for a player of Irving quality, but for him, it is a considerable raise. Last year he made only $615,000.
This number will be a lot higher after 2018. If Irving performs, a long-term deal is waiting for him in Dallas or somewhere else. If Cowboys wouldn’t want to stick with him on an LTD, a franchise tag is an option at the end of the season. At the moment franchise tag for a defensive tackle stands at $13.4 million.
If David Irving manages to have a double-digit number of sacks in 2018, or if he repeats his sack-per-game ratio from 2017 he will be the most sought-after DT on the market next year. Irving looks ready to do this, and that’s why he was the first at the center for the start of the off-season program.
