Dez Bryant's contract negotiation have come under fire recently after the wide receiver challenged the Dallas Cowboys to not test his loyalty. Bryant is aiming to be the highest-paid wide receiver in the league and the Cowboys have yet to bend to those demands. After changing agents and adding another off-the-field issue to his resume, could Bryant be out in 2015?
Bryant is not doing himself any favors with recent off-the-field issues. The wide receiver admitted he was out partying the Friday before the Cowboys' game in London. That was apparently against team rules. Now, a report from the DeSoto, Texas police saying authorities have visited Bryant's house six times recently on various complaints. There are questions about whether or not Bryant was actually living in the house or just simply owning it, but according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, it is all cause for concern as far as contract negotiations are concerned.
Rapoport already reported that the Cowboys were hesitant to meet the demands of Bryant after a seeing a number of players have legal issues this year. While Bryant is one of the best offensive weapons on the Cowboys' roster, he can also be a slight headcase. Could Jerry Jones be leaning towards not retaining Bryant out of fear of more issues? The owner says the team is trying to be smart with how they handle contract talks and will look at all angels.
"What we want to do is have an agreement for the rest of Dez's career," Jones said, via ESPN.com. "So that's what we want. To me that says a lot about the concern about off-the-field concern if we want him on the Dallas Cowboys for the rest of his career. There is more to consider than just how good a player [Bryant is]. There's more to consider than performance. He represents the star. We want him to be proud of that. He can be. I'm real impressed with how he's evolved over the last several years, or we wouldn't be in serious contract negotiations with him. So I think all of that is where it really is, and I do look for us to get something done with Dez."
The Cowboys also have to consider the contracts of DeMarco Murray and Rolando McClain which are also expiring. The chances that Bryant is not wearing a Cowboys uniform next year are slim simply because the receiver can be franchised by the team, but expect the drama surrounding negotiations to grow in the coming months.
