Agent's Take: A fair contract solution for Dez Bryant and the Cowboys

[Doomsday101]

The Dallas Cowboys and wide receiver Dez Bryant, who was designated as a franchise player, have until July 15 to reach agreement on a long-term contract. Once this deadline for franchise players has passed, the earliest a multi-year deal can be is signed January 3, 2016 when the 2015 regular season ends.
The sides will likely remain at an impasse until the deadline is approaching. This is partially because the slowest part of the NFL calendar is the period between the end of minicamp and offseason workouts, which began on June 19 for most teams, and the fourth of July. Team employees will begin coming back from vacation after the holiday. Most franchise players' long-term deals are signed in the eleventh hour anyway.
During radio interviews on June 18 with Sirius XM NFL Radio and KESN, an affiliate in Dallas, I was asked this question: What would be a fair Dez Bryant contract? Since the interviews, I've focused on the following factors to better answer the question.
1. The wide receiver market 2. The Dallas Cowboys' contract preferences and conventions 3. The financial relationship between the highest-paid player and the second highest-paid player at the different playing positions 4. Franchise player contracts averaging more than $10 million per year

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25222640

 

[Doomsday101]

I agree with this guys take on what a fair contract should be

Suggested contract
Signing Bonus: $7.5 Million ($3.75 Million with 15 days of execution; $3.75 Million payable in 17 equal installments over the regular season)
Guaranteed Money: $36.75 Million
Fully Guaranteed At Signing: $30 Million
Deal Total: $71.25 Million
Contract Length: 5 Years
Average Per Year: $14.25 Million

 

[jday]

I agree with this guys take on what a fair contract should be

Suggested contract
Signing Bonus: $7.5 Million ($3.75 Million with 15 days of execution; $3.75 Million payable in 17 equal installments over the regular season)
Guaranteed Money: $36.75 Million
Fully Guaranteed At Signing: $30 Million
Deal Total: $71.25 Million
Contract Length: 5 Years
Average Per Year: $14.25 Million

Seem's fair to me, but of course the Megatron contract pretty much messed it up for everyone; because of that, I doubt Dez would agree.

 

[reddyuta]

I think Dez will agree to this,the initial cowboys offer is a a complete no go.

 

[Nightman]

I agree with this guys take on what a fair contract should be

Suggested contract
Signing Bonus: $7.5 Million ($3.75 Million with 15 days of execution; $3.75 Million payable in 17 equal installments over the regular season)
Guaranteed Money: $36.75 Million
Fully Guaranteed At Signing: $30 Million
Deal Total: $71.25 Million
Contract Length: 5 Years
Average Per Year: $14.25 Million

The structure is messy and the signing bonus is too low.

 

[yimyammer]

good article, nice to see pure analysis and no hype or TMZ garbage

 

[The Quest for Six]

Franchise Dez for two years and move on...

 

[Alexander]

good article, nice to see pure analysis and no hype or TMZ garbage

Corry usually brings it on all his articles.

 

[USMarineVet]

I like your numbers.. And I agree that it will come down to the 11th hour, if it happens at all.

The other Top 3 receivers are waiting on Dez. Naturally Dez and his crew want to see one of the other 3 get a big deal so that increases his leverage. We all just have to play the waiting game and see if this moves or if the tags are gonna stick.

My suggestion... Enjoy the summer. Have a nice 4th of July. We can all revisit this 10 days after that cause it doesn't look like anyone's ready to flinch.

 

[StylisticS]

Franchise Dez for two years and move on...

How about no. Get a long term deal and then move on.

 

[jrumann59]

Franchise Dez for two years and move on...

Which will handcuff the organization in re-signing or signing FA unless they do kick the can down the road a little more with Romo and Witten.

 

[Bluefin]

Bryant wouldn't get franchised for a third time in 2017 because his number would be a minimum of $22,158,144, which is 144 percent of his 2016 franchise tag.

So the team is supposed to let Dez Bryant walk in 2017 if a long term deal can't be agreed upon?

Maybe if Tony Romo has been put out to pasture, but otherwise, I feel Dallas would want to keep Dez.

Hopefully, this will all be put to rest by getting an extension done by the July 15th deadline, but the Cowboys will need to increase their offer.

Whatever the total years and money might be, it's going to take a pile of guaranteed cash to put ink on paper.

Like almost $50M.

Bryant can play on 3 consecutive tags and haul in an estimated $49.565M.

So any long term deal is going to have to approach and perhaps surpass that number in guarantees.

 

[yimyammer]

So the team is supposed to let Dez Bryant walk in 2017 if a long term deal can't be agreed upon?

Maybe if Tony Romo has been put out to pasture, but otherwise, I feel Dallas would want to keep Dez.

Hopefully, this will all be put to rest by getting an extension done by the July 15th deadline, but the Cowboys will need to increase their offer.

Whatever the total years and money might be, it's going to take a pile of guaranteed cash to put ink on paper.

Like almost $50M.

Bryant can play on 3 consecutive tags and haul in an estimated $49.565M.

So any long term deal is going to have to approach and perhaps surpass that number in guarantees.

I think the guarantees will be more toward the total of this years franchise tag and next years, the third year is too high for any team to pay (barring a huge salary cap increase). I think negotiations have to start at 28 million guaranteed and probably land somewhere in the 30's. Hopefully Dez will take a lower salary in exchange for more guarantees (or vice versa).

 

[CF74]

It's hard to characterize the Cowboys proposal as reasonable.


It would be reasonable for the Cowboys to make Bryant the NFL's second highest-paid player by average salary given his age and the production the team expects from him.



Unless there are incidents the Cowboys know about that haven't been made public, the protections in Sean Lee, Tony Romo and Smith's contracts should be sufficient. Their contracts contain language voiding salary guarantees for numerous reasons including suspensions for conduct detrimental and violating the personal conduct policy.




It is a bit disingenuous for Stephen Jones, the Cowboys chief operating officer and director of player personnel, to suggest that uncertainty in the wide receiver market is a major impediment to a long-term deal.



$14.25 million per year and $30 million fully guaranteed at signing are probably at the low end of what should be acceptable for Bryant when taking the franchise tag dynamic and Wallace's deal in the current cap environment into consideration.

 

[Toruk_Makto]

Franchise Dez for two years and move on...

I too think it's smart to move on from elite players at age 27 after paying them 28m for two years.

Wait no I don't.

 

[Mr Cowboy]

The had a guy on NFL radio talking about a similar type deal, he was saying that an average of a little over $14 per year, and between $36 and $38 guaranteed in the first 3 years. I think he was a former GM.

Said Stephen is insulting Dez and his agent by saying that they need the market to settle or set. Everyone know what Dez needs and is worth regardless of what others sign for.

 

[Nightman]

It's hard to characterize the Cowboys proposal as reasonable.

It would be reasonable for the Cowboys to make Bryant the NFL's second highest-paid player by average salary given his age and the production the team expects from him.

Unless there are incidents the Cowboys know about that haven't been made public, the protections in Sean Lee, Tony Romo and Smith's contracts should be sufficient. Their contracts contain language voiding salary guarantees for numerous reasons including suspensions for conduct detrimental and violating the personal conduct policy.


It is a bit disingenuous for Stephen Jones, the Cowboys chief operating officer and director of player personnel, to suggest that uncertainty in the wide receiver market is a major impediment to a long-term deal.

$14.25 million per year and $30 million fully guaranteed at signing are probably at the low end of what should be acceptable for Bryant when taking the franchise tag dynamic and Wallace's deal in the current cap environment into consideration.

Wallace has already been traded because Miami didn't want to pay him anymore. MINN gets a deal and MIA has to eat the dead money.

30M should be the top end of the fully guaranteed money. That is the reason Dez is upset about being tagged. He will eventually get paid but nothing is guaranteed past this year's 13m.

If DAL is going to pay full retail they aren't going to guarantee anymore than they absolutely have to.

Like Bluefin said they could tag him 3 years in a row for 49m will 0m guaranteed. That is a lot of money and cap space, but a ton less risk and no future commitments. Dez would have to stay healthy and out of trouble until 2018.

 

[CF74]

Wallace has already been traded because Miami didn't want to pay him anymore. MINN gets a deal and MIA has to eat the dead money.

30M should be the top end of the fully guaranteed money. That is the reason Dez is upset about being tagged. He will eventually get paid but nothing is guaranteed past this year's 13m.

If DAL is going to pay full retail they aren't going to guarantee anymore than they absolutely have to.

Like Bluefin said they could tag him 3 years in a row for 49m will 0m guaranteed. That is a lot of money and cap space, but a ton less risk and no future commitments. Dez would have to stay healthy and out of trouble until 2018.

Wallace was traded to the Minnesota Vikings in March but the deal remained intact.

It's still relevant...

 

[Nightman]

Wallace was traded to the Minnesota Vikings in March but the deal remained intact.

It's still relevant...

MINN only owes him 9.9m, 11.5m and 11.5m with only 3m this year guaranteed. He can be next year with 0m cap hit.

MIA paid him 27m for 2 years and has to eat 6.6m in dead money this year just to get rid of him.

 

[CF74]

MINN only owes him 9.9m, 11.5m and 11.5m with only 3m this year guaranteed. He can be next year with 0m cap hit.

MIA paid him 27m for 2 years and has to eat 6.6m in dead money this year just to get rid of him.

So what. Dez is still the superior player getting jobbed...