The Dallas Cowboys have Dez Bryant in OTA workouts after speculation that he would hold out for a new contract and the two sides are continuing to work on the deal and this comes as Greg Hardy has his appeal on his suspension, while rookies Randy Gregory, Byron Jones and La'el Collins are pushing to start for the team in camp.
The Cowboys top priority this offseason is to sign Bryant, as he has been hit with the franchise tag and wants a long term contract. According to ESPN Dallas, Bryant is attending OTA workouts and he came in as a "show of good faith" and participated in individual workouts on Thursday. The Cowboys and Jerry Jones have said patience is key with the negotiations and that they are "not worried" about getting a deal done, as they think the two sides can agree.
Training camp is coming up and Bryant has until the middle of July to reach a contract agreement with the Cowboys. Bryant will be due around $13 million if he signs the franchise tender and that would be one a one year deal. Earlier in the offseason there were reports about a video surfacing that had Bryant in a bad situation, but nothing came of that and now the two sides are trying to hammer out a deal. Bryant said during the season that he did not want to get the franchise tag and now the next step is agreeing to a deal or signing the one year tender.
The Dallas Morning News reported earlier in the week that "no meaningful" talks have taken place between the two sides lately. Bryant being in camp makes it seem like things are headed in the right direction and with more time left to agree to a deal, things could turn over the next few weeks. The report also says that the team wants "an off-field structure designed to limit risk" in the contract and that could be a sticking point for Bryant.
The Cowboys know that he is a game changing player and he likely will be getting near $30 to $40 million guaranteed money depending on the length of the deal. Last season Bryant had another huge year with 16 touchdowns and his second straight year with at least 88 catches and 1200 yards. Bryant had 1320 yards last season and over the past three years he has had at least 12 TD in each season, with 41 touchdowns over the last three years.
Greg Hardy comes in after having an appeal hearing about his suspension and according to Pro Football Talk, the NFLPA wants the suspension reduced. The union is looking to get it reduced "dramatically" from the 10 games and according to NFL Network reporter Albert Breer, the suspension could be reduced by a "significant number" from the 10 games. The Cowboys are desperate for defensive line help and Hardy is one of the best even with his domestic issues.
Randy Gregory and Byron Jones come in as top draft picks and they are pushing to start this season. According to Todd Archer, Jones has looked good in rookie camp and he could push Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr, while Gregory could star if Hardy is out for an extended period of time.