IRVING, Texas – The Oakland Raiders have opted not to match last week's contract offer, which will make Benson Mayowa an official member of the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys extended Mayowa an offer worth more than $8 million over three years last week. Per NFL rules, the Raiders have until Wednesday to match. It might not become official until then, but it appears the Raiders have informed Mayowa of their decision, as his representation revealed the news on Tuesday morning:
Mayowa is the Cowboys' first addition this offseason at the thin defensive end position. Jack Crawford and Greg Hardy are currently free agents, and Randy Gregory faces a four-game suspension at the start of the season – which made addressing the pass rush a big priority.
The Inglewood, Calif., native isn't long on career sacks, but the Cowboys were clearly intrigued by his potential after a 16-tackle effort in 2015. Mayowa appeared in 28 games and made three starts with Oakland in the past two years. Before that he played a minor role on Seattle's 2013 Super Bowl championship team.
The reported offer for Mayowa suggests a lot of confidence in his upside. He only has two career sacks to his name, but Mayowa is expected to make a base salary of $700,000 in 2015 with a signing bonus of $3.3 million. His base salary is expected to jump up to $2.5 million in 2017 and $2.75 million in 2018.
Mayowa will give the Cowboys another body to add to their pass rush. DeMarcus Lawrence is expected to anchor the position as he enters his third year, and the Cowboys have mulled the possibility of moving him to right end. At 6-3, 240 pounds, Mayowa gives them a high-motor option to add to the rotation.
