Dez Bryant expected a long-term contract this offseason. The wide receiver had made it clear he intended to remain with the Dallas Cowboys, but also expected some respect from the franchise in terms of a long-term commitment and pay raise. That failed to happen as the Bryant was instead hit with the franchise tag after a deal failed to be agreed upon. With OTAs right around the corner, negotiations continue for a new contract, but a deal is not a priority.
Bryant has not said much since getting hit with the franchise tag. He had made it clear that was not what he wanted out of the team, but that was the end result. Likely very unhappy with the team at the moment, owner Jerry Jones is making it clear that a contract with Bryant could still be finalized, but the team cannot make it a priority at the moment.
"It's not imperative for him or us to get something done by the season or otherwise," Jones said, via the team's official website. "Let's be real clear: The franchise is there just to do exactly what it's doing, and it really rewards, financially, a player. And so while both of us would like to have a long-term agreement -- and I can speak to that, we both would -- it's not imperative on any type of timeframe of months or during the time the franchise is in to get something done."
Jones believes that right now the wide receiver market is a tricky place to navigate. Demaryius Thomas, Julio Jones and AJ Green are all looking for new contracts and everyone appears to be waiting to see who makes the first move and sets the tone for everyone else. Given their current salary cap situation, a contract extension would be difficult to come by for Bryant and the Cowboys meaning they need the receiver to be patient and wait out the season.
The salary cap also hurts potential trades for running back help after the loss of DeMarco Murray. Darren McFadden is not enough to make up for the loss of the leading rusher. A deal for Adrian Peterson is unlikely unless the running back is released while a trade for Matt Forte might prove too expensive for the Cowboys. The best option will likely be the draft where Todd Gurley, TJ Yeldon and Melvin Gordon will be waiting in the second round.
