NBC: Stephen Jones denies that Dez Bryant threatened to miss time **merged**

[cowboyvic]

Cowboys got all the leverage. If Dez really does sit out a couple games after his franchise tag, all he's doing is validating the Cowboys concerns about him.

If it needs to be done, Cowboys will just franchise tag him two years in a row, and trade him away. He got zero leverage, he can threaten that he'll sit out all he wants. He'd be doing more harm than good to himself if he does that.

And they won't get the same player. what good he if he's not the same Dez. may as well trade him and hope you can get another big time WR. someone out there will pay him close to what he wants. all it takes is one.

 

[phildadon86]

Dez likely has 2-3 dominant years left before the inevitable downturn begins. Dallas owns two of those years with franchise tags right now.

The pressure is on Dez, not Dallas. The Cowboys are handling this beautifully.

If he wants more money and security, he has to drop his demands a bit. Dallas has to do.......NOTHING.

2-3 Dominant years? Hes 26, your saying he will be declining at 29? Dez is a physical specimen just like AP. These guys arent the "norm" for football players. They set the bar. Everyone on this board knows that you dont like Dez, or at least it seems that way since you are completely against signing him long term.

 

[Nation]

Sounds good. but that's not the way business works. Dez is doing business. why don't some of you get it ?

I'm pretty sure that threatening someone into a scenario that helps nobody is not how business works either.

 

[CyberB0b]

Dez does have some leverage. As much as we like to pretend that him having a bad year this season due to a fight over a contract would hurt his value next year, this simply isn't true.

Dez could sit out half the season and 75% of the league wouldn't still be lined up to make him the highest paid WR in the league......
Teams know what he brings on the field and off the field....they want it.

It looks like this internal circle jerk that caused Murray to be an Eagle over a moderate contract could also cause our best WR and maybe best player outside of Romo to leave one day.

Do you really think Dez can afford to go that long without income? He blew most of his rookie deal in his first couple years in the league. He owed money all over town to pay day loan sharks and jewelry makers.

 

[cowboyvic]

If he doesn't want to sign here on our terms let's look to trade him and get something out of him.

He wants to sign here. he just does not want to sign for what Jerry and his son are offering. that's not the way business works.

 

[xwalker]

Why are we only hearing this crap about Dez? I've heard next to nothing from the D. Thomas and J. Houston camps, yet Dez negotiations are incredibly public. Mostly from the Dez camp. It's really getting irritating and negotiations should be kept private.

His agent wants them to be public. The only leverage they really have is to get the fans upset and in turn to put pressure on the team.

Every person that you see on this site that is upset that the Cowboys are "screwing" Dez, are actually pawns in his agent's scheme. The more that fans "help" agents, the more difficult it is for the Cowboys to field a competitive team under the salary cap.

If fans that cheer loudly at home games have a small part in helping the Cowboys win. Then fans that take sides with at player over the team have a small part in help the team lose.

 

[rynochop]

I think Dez wants that big check NOW because he needs it now. It's a long way to September 14th if you're living on credit cards.

Word among local media is that he's broke right now.

That wouldnt shock me at all. I love him as a player but he.s not exactly a Rhodes scholer. With that whole crew he has living in his house they.re probly bleeding him dry

 

[CyberB0b]

I think Dez wants that big check NOW because he needs it now. It's a long way to September 14th if you're living on credit cards.

Word among local media is that he's broke right now.

He's been broke since he got in the league. He owed a lot of money before he even signed his rookie deal. There were pay day loan sharks and jewelry makers coming after him.

 

[remdak]

Didn't Irvin threaten to sit out games when he was franchised back in the day?

I don't think they had the franchise tag back when Irvin played.

 

[Hawkeye19]

He has already DONE THAT! Did fans or the team have any issue with him being underpaid the last few years? You think agents and players let that go unnoticed? Actually, Dez did. He has been underpaid for a LONG time. And has not complained ONCE! Now it is time to be paid like he SHOULD....and now we got a problem. But again...there was no problem when his production outweighed his compensation. But now he wants to be compensated according to his production, impact and status on the team...and here we are with big problems!

Look-- you need to understand how the NFLPA and CBA are set up. Teams are given the right to franchise a player under that agreement. Dallas is exercising their rights-- that the players and NFLPA have given them-- to tag Dez and pay him top 5 money for his position.

1. Paying him under the franchise tag IS paying him what his production is worth. He stands to make over 12 mil this year. But really, this isn't about getting compensated for his production-- he wants long term guaranteed security, AND he wants the big contract that proves he's the #1 WR in the NFL-- which is about respect.

2. If he doesn't like being tagged-- his real beef is with the NFLPA who signed the CBA and gave owners/teams that much leverage.

Fighting with the Dallas FO is only hurting himself at this point. Which is why-- again, IMO-- he is handling this badly.

 

[xwalker]

Do you really think Dez can afford to go that long without income? He blew most of his rookie deal in his first couple years in the league. He owed money all over town to pay day loan sharks and jewelry makers.

I would bet money that he can't go without pay for half the season without having to sell some cars and jewelry. Even then it would be difficult because he probably paid high end retail for the jewelry and it's current worth is probably way below what he paid for it. The same for the cars. He rents a house, so he doesn't have equity there.

 

[BigWillie]

Dez either signs a deal by Wednesday, or no deal until next offseason. He gains nothing by sitting out, and it gets him no closer to getting a deal done. The only thing he gets is a loss of game checks, which takes away from the financial stability he claims he wants.

ATP, Dez has 3 options ..

1.) Take what Dallas is offering

2.) Decline Dallas' deal. Take the franchise tag, play the season, collect the paychecks.

3.) Decline Dallas' deal. Sit home. Collect no paychecks.

1 and 2 are the only reasonable answers one should take. If it's 3, or if they even consider it an option, Dez and the people surrounding him really need to rethink things.

 

[rynochop]

Didn't Irvin threaten to sit out games when he was franchised back in the day?

No. It wasnt around then

 

[erod]

2-3 Dominant years? Hes 26, your saying he will be declining at 29? Dez is a physical specimen just like AP. These guys arent the "norm" for football players. They set the bar. Everyone on this board knows that you dont like Dez, or at least it seems that way since you are completely against signing him long term.

I LOVE Dez. Maybe my favorite player on the team on game day. But most receivers lose steps quickly come their late 20s.

I just deal with what is. He's a bit of a loose cannon, and the Cowboys want to protect themselves. The franchise tag is the perfect way, unless he wants to agree to some things.

 

[DandyDon1722]

It appears that his agent called Ed Werder and gave him this info. The agent/player would be stupid not to threaten to hold out at this point; however, once the July 15th deadline has passed, Dez has zero to gain and could lose by missing camp or games. If his stats decline this season, that only hurts him next year in contract negations.

It's not as if the Cowboys are not offering him a contract. It is his choice if he declines the offer.

Exactly - posturing at its best.

Every astute business person will tell you - you will never win a negotiation until you are prepared to walk and Jerry is absolutely prepared to walk. Test this next time you go to buy a car.

I think they will get something done.

 

[xwalker]

He wants to sign here. he just does not want to sign for what Jerry and his son are offering. that's not the way business works.

Yes, the way business works is that you take the best offer available. He has to decide if the Franchise Tag or the contract they have offered is the best offer for him. The decision is up to him because they are not going to offer him a Megatron contract which appears to be what he wants.

 

[theogt]

Agent posturing to try to ensure that it's the team that looks bad when a deal doesn't get done by Wednesday. Given this kind of tactic is being used, I'd guess a deal isn't getting done by Wednesday.

 

[cowboyvic]

Exactly - posturing at its best.

Every astute business person will tell you - you will never win a negotiation until you are prepared to walk and Jerry is absolutely prepared to walk. Test this next time you go to buy a car.

I think they will get something done.

Jerry walked with Murray. and it looks like he is going to walk with Dez. looks like no Super Bowl for Romo and Witten. and maybe no playoffs for a few years.

 

[xwalker]

Exactly - posturing at its best.

Every astute business person will tell you - you will never win a negotiation until you are prepared to walk and Jerry is absolutely prepared to walk. Test this next time you go to buy a car.

I think they will get something done.

It's probably more difficult because Jerry has a history of giving in to these type of demands. The new era with Stephen in charge will remain firm in negotiations, but the agents probably think Jerry will jump in and give them what they want at some point.

 

[erod]

I sense the agent is trying to deflect blame from himself here, and Dez isn't seeing through it.