While Jerry Jones has continued to stress that he intends to keep all of the Dallas Cowboys' stars around for the long-term, he is now starting to admit that might not be possible. The team has several big names approaching free agency and the Cowboys simply cannot keep everyone around. As Jones takes a long look at the salary cap restraints facing the Cowboys both Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray are at risk of not getting new contracts.
Jones would love to sign both Bryant and Murray to new contracts after both players were x-factors in the Cowboys' season success. Bryant led the NFL with 16 touchdowns while Murray was the league's leading rusher. They are both equally important to the offense, but only one player can get paid the money he is searching for.
"It's going to be a challenge," Jones said, via ESPNDallas.com. "Is it financially reasonable? No. Is it possible? Yes. But if you just looked at it from dollars and cents, it probably doesn't look reasonable. You have to figure out how you get there, but at the end of the day you realize it's going to be costly to have both of those players."
Bryant appears to be the priority for Dallas. The wide receiver noted that he took less money in his rookie contract and now expects to get a big pay raise to show "respect." The Cowboys have already offered Bryant a few different contracts that have been turned down, forcing the wide receiver to head to Roc Nation Sports to begin negotiations again. If a deal cannot be met, Jones has no problem putting the franchise tag on Bryant which is a one-year deal worth $12.5 million.
Murray has also turned down a four-year contract from the Dallas Cowboys. The running back market is weak with most players earning short-term deals, but Murray was the key to success this season and he would like to get paid as such. NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reports that Murray is expected to test the free agent market in hopes that someone offers more money than Dallas.
Tony Romo's contract hurts free agency in Dallas, but Jones says he is not interested in restructuring the deal. The quarterback is a $27 million cap hit and deeply hinders what the Cowboys can do in the upcoming offseason. As a result, players like Brandon Carr will be forced to be released if they are unwilling to be the one to take a pay cut.
The Cowboys will keep Bryant around, but Murray's time could be over. The Cowboys have been linked to trades for Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch if the running back does indeed leave.
