Expect difficult negotiations for Bryant

[Toruk_Makto]

I think dealing with Dez was going to be difficult regardless of what Smith got. Dez is just a difficult person, on and off the field.

You and Dez are boys?

 

[Hoofbite]

The team would be wise to sign him before Damaryius Thomas, Julio Jones and A.J. Green all get their new contracts.

Particularly Green because the Bengals have a hell of a lot of cap space and can afford just about any price Green would ask for.

Denver will have a good chunk as well and they're in the window where they have to make the very most of the team they have.

His cap figure wasn't going to stay at $3M forever. Sign him to an extension now and utilize some of the free cap space that they currently have to help pull his numbers down for the new added years. Add 5 years and utilize the space now to effectively spread his money over 6 years. The final year of the contract wouldn't have money prorated to it so the team could have an increase in base salary equivalent to 20% of the signing bonus going into the last year and they wouldn't take any additional cap charge.

 

[CCBoy]

OXNARD, Calif. – The Cowboys have known all along they needed to sign two cornerstones of their franchise at some point this year.

Even though they’ve just locked up Tyron Smith on a deal that will keep him under contract through 2023, nothing has changed the Cowboys’ approach with the other guy.

Despite rumblings and reports that Smith’s eight-year deal worth about $98 million and $40 million guaranteed will prohibit the club from signing Dez Bryant this year, that seems to be the furthest from the truth.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/a...ith-Deal/e90a9367-a50f-42ae-9cb6-587d4bb3460f

 

[kevm3]

Dez is more than just a top notch receiver. He sets a lot of the emotional tone to this team. You have to get a guy like that signed. Playing games, waiting until the offseason, etc., is unacceptable.

 

[CCBoy]

The Cowboys have already stated that they want to make Dez Bryant a Cowboy for life. Now how many times have they failed to do just that when they set their own minds to it?

 

[Plankton]

As much as I love Bryant as a player, and how much of an emotional fulcrum he is for the team as well as his elite status as a player, I would be very careful about tying up big money in him. His back problems scare the heck out of me, and I can see this being a big problem down the road.

 

[AsthmaField]

Dez is a monster on the field. He is quickly becoming the engine that drives the Cowboys, both in the physical football sense and in the emotional team leader sense. Both team mates and opponents admire him and the opponents fear him.

I would not let him get away. I would pay him close to Megatron money before I let him walk.

IMO, there is a time to play hardball and a time to reward... even if it might be over paying. For Dez, I would over pay if I had to. What he means to this team goes beyond his physical ability on the field and the stats you can read off a page. The guy loves the team, he loves the city, he loves his team mates, he loves to play the game. Hell, he even loves to practice.

He is more physically gifted than almost everyone not nick-named Megatron and he hasn't even reached his prime. When Romo does hang 'em up, Dez is going to make the transition for his replacement easier than it normally would be. Whoever it will be is going to be able to just throw it up and more often than not, Dez will come down with it.

I know this won't be a popular opinion on this board, but it is how I feel and what I think is right. Just pay the guy, or over pay him... whatever is necessary to lock him into a Cowboys uniform. He will be worth it when all is said and done.

 

[conner01]

Some unreasonable suggestions here. 10-12 won't get it done. These are the players who make between 10-12 mill a year. Mike Wallace makes 12 mill a year. Bowe is at 11.2. Vincent Jackson 11.1. Harvin 10.7. Brandon Marshall is at 10.0.

None of those receivers are in Dez's class. Perhaps he isn't in the class of Johnson or Fitzgerald. But he's clearly better than the 10-12 million guys.

i think it's gonna be around 14 per year. but whats really important is how much is real. you can build in big numbers to look good on paper but how much of it is the player really likely to see is whats really important. i don't think 10 or so a year is going to get a deal done but i don't think it will take megatron money to get it done. i fully expected, as dez's agent should have that smith would get his deal done first because it clears cap space. dez will get done and it won't be megatron money nor 10 mil a year but somewhere in between likely around the 14 per year mark

 

[conner01]

Nope ... franchise him for 2 years .. then let him go. No way do i pay him more than 12 million a year. Frankly i dont ever commit more years to Dez than i commit to Romo.

you would be paying him more than 12 mil a year if you franchise him and all the money hits each year. for close to franchise money i think you can sign him and spread the money out anyway you want. it would be silly to tag a guy for what you could sign him for

 

[BlindFaith]

It really would be. There's about 15 WRs with that average or more. There are not that many on his level or better.

DeSean Jackson just signed a deal that averages 8mil a year. He graded out as the 6th highest rated WR according to Football Outsiders. Dez ranked 18th.
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/wr

Dez has back issues. I still don't trust him and what a big contract will do. Hey, at least he's learned how to run more than three routes. Only took him 3 years.

Sorry, but I don't offer up big bucks for him. 10 mil a year max, low guarantee. Something very similar to Jackson's deal.
http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/washington-Commanders/desean-jackson/

 

[AbeBeta]

i think it's gonna be around 14 per year. but whats really important is how much is real. you can build in big numbers to look good on paper but how much of it is the player really likely to see is whats really important. i don't think 10 or so a year is going to get a deal done but i don't think it will take megatron money to get it done. i fully expected, as dez's agent should have that smith would get his deal done first because it clears cap space. dez will get done and it won't be megatron money nor 10 mil a year but somewhere in between likely around the 14 per year mark

I'm pretty sure Bryant and his agent understand that. Fitz and Mega have pretty "real" numbers in their deals. So this won't be a 7 year deal that have balloon salaries in year 6 and 7. Years 2 and 3 are going to have large, guaranteed salaries (that we will convert to bonus eventually). Likely approaching 50 mill in guarantees

 

[LittleD]

Dez and Jerry will come to a deal sooner or later. Dez wouldn't want to be franchised but, Jerry
will rather than losing him...(Think Spencer for two years). Even though the average of 5
highest salaries would hit the cap in one year, Dez would have no long term protection if he
gets hurt or into trouble. This will work out because it's in everyone's best interest.

 

[The Natural]

DeSean Jackson just signed a deal that averages 8mil a year. He graded out as the 6th highest rated WR according to Football Outsiders. Dez ranked 18th.
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/wr

Dez has back issues. I still don't trust him and what a big contract will do. Hey, at least he's learned how to run more than three routes. Only took him 3 years.

Sorry, but I don't offer up big bucks for him. 10 mil a year max, low guarantee. Something very similar to Jackson's deal.
http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/washington-Commanders/desean-jackson/

the idiocy on these boards man..

 

[BlindFaith]

the idiocy on these boards man..

Yeah, I agree.

 

[Hoofbite]

DeSean Jackson just signed a deal that averages 8mil a year. He graded out as the 6th highest rated WR according to Football Outsiders. Dez ranked 18th.
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/wr

Dez has back issues. I still don't trust him and what a big contract will do. Hey, at least he's learned how to run more than three routes. Only took him 3 years.

Sorry, but I don't offer up big bucks for him. 10 mil a year max, low guarantee. Something very similar to Jackson's deal.
http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/washington-Commanders/desean-jackson/

I guess if you only want to look at 1 year, have at it.

Jackson signed for more in Philly on his last go around. Guess he's not as good as he was just 2 years ago.

 

[CCBoy]

I guess if you only want to look at 1 year, have at it.

Jackson signed for more in Philly on his last go around. Guess he's not as good as he was just 2 years ago.

The kicker here, is that with the loss of Jackson and Maclin coming back from an injury season...add in some drafted talent, and the Eagles are considered by those on the NFL Channel as having the very best talent in the division.

That's not the funny part...Washington is next.

 

[Nightman]

Dez is a monster on the field. He is quickly becoming the engine that drives the Cowboys, both in the physical football sense and in the emotional team leader sense. Both team mates and opponents admire him and the opponents fear him.

I would not let him get away. I would pay him close to Megatron money before I let him walk.

IMO, there is a time to play hardball and a time to reward... even if it might be over paying. For Dez, I would over pay if I had to. What he means to this team goes beyond his physical ability on the field and the stats you can read off a page. The guy loves the team, he loves the city, he loves his team mates, he loves to play the game. Hell, he even loves to practice.

He is more physically gifted than almost everyone not nick-named Megatron and he hasn't even reached his prime. When Romo does hang 'em up, Dez is going to make the transition for his replacement easier than it normally would be. Whoever it will be is going to be able to just throw it up and more often than not, Dez will come down with it.

I know this won't be a popular opinion on this board, but it is how I feel and what I think is right. Just pay the guy, or over pay him... whatever is necessary to lock him into a Cowboys uniform. He will be worth it when all is said and done.

I wouldn't overpay and I love Dez as a Cowboy. Just tell him you want him to be a Cowboy for life, an all-timer, sell him on the history, feed his ego. But explain that he needs to do his part like Romo and TSmith did. If they want to keep Murray, Carter, Mo and Witten around, he can't go for the money.

The All-timers are revered because they WON. If he wants to be part of that, he has to do his share. He will still be a very rich man.

 

[AsthmaField]

I wouldn't overpay and I love Dez as a Cowboy. Just tell him you want him to be a Cowboy for life, an all-timer, sell him on the history, feed his ego. But explain that he needs to do his part like Romo and TSmith did. If they want to keep Murray, Carter, Mo and Witten around, he can't go for the money.

The All-timers are revered because they WON. If he wants to be part of that, he has to do his share. He will still be a very rich man.

I would absolutely try to get him to take less... but I wouldn't let him go because I wanted to pay him 12 mil per year and he wanted 14 mil per year... that's all I'm saying.

Like I said, most probably won't agree with me.

 

[Nightman]

I would absolutely try to get him to take less... but I wouldn't let him go because I wanted to pay him 12 mil per year and he wanted 14 mil per year... that's all I'm saying.

Like I said, most probably won't agree with me.

2m shouldn't be a deal breaker either way, but it may cost the team another player or two. I'm with you, I just want a fair deal that keeps Dez and Dallas.

The team is young and should be able to handle 4-5 top contracts. Romo, TSmith, Dez, Melton and Carr. Switch out Carr next year, let Scandrick take over and spend the money elsewhere.

 

[DFWJC]

Jerry said yesterday

--The negotiations are ongoing with Dez and that it's not a matter of whether or not a deal will get done, just maybe exactly when.
--He wouldn't have been completely surprised him if Dez had gotten signed before Smith.
--That their offseason salary cap moves have been centered around making both Dez and Smith Dallas Cowboys for a long time.

this does not at all sound like huge issues are expected.