Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant's Agents Reportedly Discussed Contract Negotiations

Some eyebrows were raised when Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas and Dallas Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant signed nearly identical contracts just prior to Wednesday's deadline, and it turns out that a relationship between their agents may have had something to do with the similarities.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Thomas' agent, Todd France, and Bryant's agent, Tom Condon, currently are both employed by Creative Artists Agency. A source told Florio that France and Condon worked together behind the scenes to land their respective clients matching five-year, $70 million deals.

As seen in this graphic courtesy of ESPN Stats & Info, the alleged move helped make Thomas and Bryant two of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL:

There are no regulations against agents colluding to get better deals for their clients, but the same can't be said for NFL teams. Prior to the Broncos and Cowboys managing to hammer out long-term contracts with their star pass-catchers, there was suspicion that they may have been working together to keep the price down.

Per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk, the NFL Players Association intended to investigate that possibility of collusion if deals were not reached by the deadline. The Broncos later released a statement denying any wrongdoing.

"The suggestion our club may have colluded with another team about a negotiation is completely false and without any merit," the statement said.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com his team "did not in any way have any collusion" with the Broncos, per Alper.

While many of the behind-the-scene dealings may never become public knowledge, the important thing is that all parties involved received favorable resolutions. The Broncos and Cowboys were able to lock down two of the most dominant receivers in the game for many years to come, while Thomas and Bryant were paid like the elite players they are.

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