While the Cowboys spent the offseason accruing more talent, it appeared the organization may have forgot about one of their key players. Dez Bryant allegedly threatened to sit out training camp and regular-season games if a long-term deal wasn’t reached by Wednesday. Well, that deadline is here. Bryant and The Cowboys agreed to a five year, $70 million dollar deal with $45 million guaranteed. Bryant sits comfortably at $14 million this season ( a $1.18 million pay increase) .
Welp! That went well. Had that deal not been made, Bryant Bryant’s fines could have totaled a little over $12 million for the regular season. That’s excluding any fine that would have accrued for missed practices and trainings.
Bryant was given the franchise tag earlier this year by the Cowboys organization. Great, right? Well it is if you get paid the fair market value of the top players in your position. Considering that Bryant is incredibly talented and his last three seasons yielded impressive stats, the Cowboys should pay what he weighs (on the field) and they did. When the organization gave Bryant the tag, it prevented him from stepping into the market full throttle. Because the deal was non exclusive (NFL.com), Bryant could negotiate with other teams, but the Cowboys would ultimately have the opportunity to match offers presented to Bryant or garner two first-round picks as compensation. Considering that Bryant’s indiscretion was released around this time, it limited Bryant’s attractiveness. The Cowboys were able to keep Bryant for the low, or so they thought. Simply put, the Cowboys may have thought they were playing chess when everyone was playing checkers, however, Bryant hit that checkmate on that behind.
Not so fast, Jerry. Bryant’s threat may have seemed futile because the ramifications didn’t seem tangible. However, if you know football, then you know Bryant sitting out would have impacted the team greatly. The Cowboys let DeMarco Murray go, the most visible producer in the rushing game. Allowing Bryant to sit out would have placed a great amount of pressure on their TE, Jason Witten. He is one of their most dependable players, but with Romo as a QB, the offense needede as many weapons as possible. No Bryant. No post season.
Bryant is arguably one of the best receivers in the league. He has earned the right to be paid appropriately.
Touche!
-Niko Rose
