Dez Bryant Contract: Latest Comments and Buzz on Negotiations with Cowboys

Dez Bryant's contract negotiations with the Cowboys has been a topic of interest since the Summer as experts and analysts evaluate his worth and report on the likelihood of the superstar receiver remaining with the organization long-term. Bryant himself has also spoken out about the negotiations. 

Continue for updates.

Sunday, Nov. 16

Addressing Franchise Tag Option

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports how the franchise tag could play in to Bryant's status with the Cowboys:

Thursday, Nov. 13

Dez Bryant on Contract Extension: "It's All About Respect" 

Bryant wants to be a Dallas Cowboy for life. Dez Bryant also wants to be financially set for life. When it comes to a choice between the two, Bryant sent a loud and clear message to the Cowboys on Wednesday: Don't make me choose.

"It's all about respect. It's all about respect," Bryant told reporters. "I am a very loyal person, but just don't test my loyalty."

Bryant, 26, is in the last season of his five-year, $11.8 million rookie contract. The Pro Bowl wideout is in the midst of his third straight brilliant campaign, with his pace stats putting him directly in line with the 1,233-yard, 13-touchdown line he put up in 2013. But despite a heap of public praise from management, it appears Bryant and the Cowboys are nowhere near a long-term deal.

"I just know what I'm going to accept, and I know what I'm not going to accept," Bryant said. "I've been here for five years. You know, it's not about the money. It's not about none of that. I just feel like a little respect should play a factor in that."

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com reported Wednesday that the Cowboys offered Bryant a 10-year pact, but it was worth less than $12 million annually and came with less than $20 million in guarantees. Such a deal would very likely be structured similarly to the contract Colin Kaepernick signed with the San Francisco 49ers, which features a low guarantee level and high annual base salaries.

In the NFL, where base salaries are non-guaranteed, that essentially puts the player on a year-to-year contract. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told MacMahon the team has offered "some nice contracts" but declined to go into financial specifics.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network said negotiations have sputtered because the team wants to protect itself against potential off-the-field incidents. 

"This is a genuine concern," Rapoport said, per Kevin Patra of NFL.com. "The Cowboys, I am told by multiple sources involved in the situation, do not trust Dez Bryant off the field. They feared—and they have feared for a while—that it will all blow up in his face, that a variety of small incidents will all come back to haunt him."

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones denied Rapoport's insinuations, saying the team's desire to lock him up to a long-term deal should quell any of those rumors.

"What we want to do is have an agreement for the rest of Dez’s career,” Jones told reporters, per Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “So that’s what we want. To me that says a lot about the concern about off-the-field concerns if we want him on the Dallas Cowboys for the rest of his career."

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

Dallas selected Bryant No. 24 overall in the 2010 draft. While viewed as a top-10 talent, Bryant dropped out of the top 20 due to personality issues, allowing the Cowboys to atone for their Randy Moss-sized mistake more than a decade prior. 

The former Oklahoma State star has responded by developing into one of the NFL's best receivers. He heads into Sunday's game against the New York Giants in the top 10 in receptions (56), yards (793) and touchdowns (eight). Football Outsiders' DYAR advanced metric ranks Bryant ninth among all receivers this season.

MacMahon's report indicates Bryant wants to be paid like one of the best receivers in football. His performance level says he deserves it. Now the question is whether the two sides can find an amenable middle ground before Bryant's loyalty feels "tested."

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