Twitter: Stephen Jones addresses Dez contract

[Captain43Crash]

This is the first time I can honestly say I'm not sure Dez will be a 2018 Cowboy. But One thing I am 100% sure, he WILL NOT be released. With the thin crop of WRs in the draft and one, maybe two, free agents receiving tags from there team, Dez's trade value is pretty high IMO. No question we can get a 2nd rounder, maybe a first.

Another thought.....can we use his value to move into top 10 of the draft.....

NO! Dallas has rose colored glasses on when it comes to Dez, no one else does.

 

[CATCH17]

Honor. Loyalty. Sacrifice. Honor The Contract Stephen.

I don't understand why a fan would want Dallas to honor the contract unless it meant they would just get rid of him.



This deal needs to be re-done.

We can still pay him more then anyone else but free up some cap space at the same time.

Dallas will not get their moneys worth out of Dez Bryant With Dak Prescott throwing the ball. Nothing against Dak either but Garrett's scheme does him no favors and Dak isn't good at throwing to his X & Z WR's.

Get some money back and strengthen a weakness.

 

[Captain43Crash]

The draft is full of #2 WRs. Like it or not Dez is the closest thing to having a #1 WR next year. No free agent or draft pick will replace even Dez’s low production next year.

Perhaps they are able to draft someone that can be a #1 in 2 years and cut Dez next year but doing so this year would not be a wise decision

This offense has been successful without Dez in the lineup. Dez makes mistakes that actually hold this O back at times. Get a smart receiver, a good #2, that shuts his mouth and does his job.

 

[Sydla]

Sammy Watkins and Donte Moncrief are probably the two most obvious names, given the connection with Lal. Of those, only Watkins is a legitimate replacement for Dez and is still a step down at that. Though he does give us the speed we're looking to add offensively.

Moncrief or a draft pick, or both, to replace Butler. Let them compete with Noah Brown for snaps. Dez' red zone looks maybe got to a player like Gathers if he makes the roster, more passes to Elliott, and continue the option keepers that Dak's good with.

It probably ends up being more expensive than keeping or extending Dez, but we get younger and more explosive with it, and the players all have ties to the staff.

I like Moncrief. Hope they look into him.

But this notion that you can replace Dez's production "easily" with a draft pick or #2 FA is pretty much a reach at this point. That's not to say we have to keep Dez. But acknowledge what letting Dez goes could mean. Don't just act like it's a no brainer, cut Dez, some #2 off the street will match his production, etc.

 

[kskboys]

I like Moncrief. Hope they look into him.

But this notion that you can replace Dez's production "easily" with a draft pick or #2 FA is pretty much a reach at this point. That's not to say we have to keep Dez. But acknowledge what letting Dez goes could mean. Don't just act like it's a no brainer, cut Dez, some #2 off the street will match his production, etc.

69/838/6 TD's? How is that not easily replaced? I'm really not getting your line of thinking here, Sydla.

Now, if you're referring to potential production, I can understand.

 

[G2]

Getting interesting.

I still think they probably find a way to keep Dez, and I hope they do. But when he's been out of the lineup under Dak here it hasn't really been the end of the world. We've been fairly effective without him when the other pieces are in place.

Very good point.

 

[G2]

I like Moncrief. Hope they look into him.

But this notion that you can replace Dez's production "easily" with a draft pick or #2 FA is pretty much a reach at this point. That's not to say we have to keep Dez. But acknowledge what letting Dez goes could mean. Don't just act like it's a no brainer, cut Dez, some #2 off the street will match his production, etc.

800 yards can be replaced.

 

[CATCH17]

Getting interesting.

I still think they probably find a way to keep Dez, and I hope they do. But when he's been out of the lineup under Dak here it hasn't really been the end of the world. We've been fairly effective without him when the other pieces are in place.

Because we don't use the guy until we are desperate and then we'll throw him a 50/50 ball and if he doesn't bring it down he sucks.

 

[Sydla]

69/838/6 TD's? How is that not easily replaced? I'm really not getting your line of thinking here, Sydla.

Now, if you're referring to potential production, I can understand.

Name for me the #2 WRs that you can get in FA that will match that? Watkins isn't a #2 and likely will get paid fairly sizeable money. Pryor? I guess. Wallace? He's old and declining. So this notion that you can get any guy in FA and he will "easily" match Dez's production is an overstatement by you.

Then name for me the rookie WRs in the draft, that will match that immediately?

 

[Idgit]

I like Moncrief. Hope they look into him.

But this notion that you can replace Dez's production "easily" with a draft pick or #2 FA is pretty much a reach at this point. That's not to say we have to keep Dez. But acknowledge what letting Dez goes could mean. Don't just act like it's a no brainer, cut Dez, some #2 off the street will match his production, etc.

There definitely isn't a player of Dez' caliber out there lying around right now looking for a team.

I go back and forth on it, because Dez does still get his share of defensive attention and he's still an impact player in terms of his ability to high point the ball in the redzone. He's not worth what we pay him, and it's not close, so we have to do something. When he was hurt in 2016, though, under Dak, the team pretty much played like it did with him in the lineup (24, 28, and 30 points, all wins). And the games last season where he got more than a dozen targets, we lost all of them (0-3).

We're a good enough redzone team that we could take Dez away and add a speed WR who's a legitimate threat and probably be harder to defend overall than we were in 2017.

I don't know. It's a big risk, either way.

 

[Sydla]

800 yards can be replaced.

By who?

You guys keep saying it's easy to replace 800 yards and 6-7 TDs.

OK, who you got in FA that is a #2 type WR (which is what the guy said) and will do that for sure?

 

[Idgit]

Because we don't use the guy until we are desperate and then we'll throw him a 50/50 ball and if he doesn't bring it down he sucks.

Some of the looks he does get are terrible, for sure. But if he's out of the lineup, and it doesn't really affect the offense like we saw in 2016 against some decent teams...(49ers, Bengals, Packers)...how much does it really matter?

 

[kskboys]

Name for me the #2 WRs that you can get in FA that will match that? Watkins isn't a #2 and likely will get paid fairly sizeable money. Pryor? I guess. Wallace? He's old and declining. So this notion that you can get any guy in FA and he will "easily" match Dez's production is an overstatement by you.

Then name for me the rookie WRs in the draft, that will match that immediately?

Many possibilities, Syd. No sure things.

I'm not against keeping Dez. The only problem is, we don't have the right coaching staff for him. He should be a lot further along than he is as a receiver. He needed some tough coaching and great teaching and never got it.

 

[Sydla]

Many possibilities, Syd. No sure things.

I'm not against keeping Dez. The only problem is, we don't have the right coaching staff for him. He should be a lot further along than he is as a receiver. He needed some tough coaching and great teaching and never got it.

Many possibilities? Then it should be easy to name say one #2 FA WR that can give you 800+ yards and 6 TDs.

So again, let's see some names of WRs who the Cowboys could get that would "easily" match what Dez did.

 

[G2]

By who?

You guys keep saying it's easy to replace 800 yards and 6-7 TDs.

OK, who you got in FA that is a #2 type WR (which is what the guy said) and will do that for sure?

All I said is 800 yards can be replaced. pretty much by any of the top FA WR's. Hell, I wouldn't bet against one the guys we already have.

 

[CATCH17]

Some of the looks he does get are terrible, for sure. But if he's out of the lineup, and it doesn't really affect the offense like we saw in 2016 against some decent teams...(49ers, Bengals, Packers)...how much does it really matter?

Not a lot TBH but there are still times when his ability to go up and bring down a football are the difference between winning and losing.

It's really a nice Plan B for us.

It's just not worth 16 mill a year unless you have an artist like Romo slinging the ball around.

Look at our game against GB in the playoffs @ Dallas. Dez was unreal in that game.

 

[pacy]

Guys, this is all a game between the FO and Dez. FO wants Dez to bite and take a paycut. If Dez plays hardball he will get cut or maybe traded if somebody wants his contract. Still a possibility that they might restructure.

 

[CATCH17]

Many possibilities? Then it should be easy to name say one #2 FA WR that can give you 800+ yards and 6 TDs.

So again, let's see some names of WRs who the Cowboys could get that would "easily" match what Dez did.

I think they could match the production but they would still take a dip in talent.

I don't think any WR in the NFL is doing much better than Dez under these current circumstances. The drops are on him though and I can't say as many Wideouts would've done that but I don't worry about Dez being a guy that can't catch a football like he was this past year.

 

[kskboys]

By who?

You guys keep saying it's easy to replace 800 yards and 6-7 TDs.

OK, who you got in FA that is a #2 type WR (which is what the guy said) and will do that for sure?

Nothing is for sure, Syd, but it's also not for sure that Dez will repeat that. He might have 600 yds, he might have 1,600. You're looking for sure things, and there are none.

Allen Robinson
Sammy Watkins
Terrelle Pryor
Marquise Lee
Donte Moncrief
Paul Richardson
Mike Wallace
Eric Decker

All of those guys could.

 

[Aviano90]

Nothing is for sure, Syd, but it's also not for sure that Dez will repeat that. He might have 600 yds, he might have 1,600. You're looking for sure things, and there are none.

Allen Robinson
Sammy Watkins
Terrelle Pryor
Marquise Lee
Donte Moncrief
Paul Richardson
Mike Wallace
Eric Decker

All of those guys could.

We also don't need *one* player to replace Dez's production, yard for yard or TD for TD. If his replacement only scores 6 touchdowns, but the RBs increase their TD totals or passing TD's get distributed more evenly, then Dez's production would have been replaced.

One thing I looked at is how did Dez the offense perform with Dez vs without Dez. And really the offense performed the same with or without him. In 2015 it sucked with or without him and in 2016 it was great with or without him. I don't think he is the difference maker people want to make him out to be.