It's ridiculously funny to me that some keep saying "take less"!!!! Would you settle? Less money for your family? Less money for a career that might be cut short with and injury! Less money for a team that will cut you as soon as you slip? What the hell?? I get it, salary cap....blah, blah ,blah. I wouldn't settle and I sure as hell don't blame anyone that would.
You are quite right, but there are two sides to this.
The player has every right to try to get as much as he can.
His employer on the other hand has the right to say, "that's the best I can/will do" and move on without him if he wants more.
I have said many times that I do not blame players for trying to get as much as they can because they never know when their career will end. It could happen a lot sooner than expected for a variety of reasons.
That said, I also think teams are well within their rights to make their best offer and walk away if they don't want to overpay (in their minds) the player.
For example, let's say you want to buy a hard-to-yet-not-impossible-to-find vehicle ..
What if the dealership says they would only sell you the vehicle at 20% over sticker price?
The car belongs to them, so its within their right to ask whatever they want for it. They could ask double the price if they feel its worth that.
Do you pay them what they want or do you accept they want more than you are willing to spend and move on?
Again, I am not blaming Dak for trying to get the most he can because most people probably would in his situation.
At the same time though, do not blame the team if they are unwilling to pay him what he's asking nor blame the fans who voice their opinions that he is not worth what he is asking.
In the end, if Dak is here, I am good with that. If Dak is gone, I am good with that too. I really do not care which players they keep, release or trade any more because most players are mercenaries now.
All I care about is the end result .. winning a Super Bowl.