The Dallas Cowboys and Dez Bryant do not appear to be getting any closer to the long-term contract that the star wide receiver believes he has earned from the franchise. The team currently has Bryant under the franchise tag, but they would also like to get him secured to a multi-year deal before the deadline in July.

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Negotiations between the two sides have been contentious so far, and Bryant has been skipping team activities to this point. He will likely continue to do so until he gets the new deal that he is seeking. According to ESPN, however, money may not be the core issue of the contract dispute. Instead, Dallas may be looking to build in some protection in case Bryant gets suspended by the league.

It is no secret that Bryant had a troubled past, which nearly reared its head earlier this offseason regarding the alleged "Ray Rice-type" video showing Bryant committing some sort of violent act. While the video never surfaced, Bryant still had a reputation when he came into the league for surrounding himself with the wrong kind of people.

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The Cowboys were so concerned about Bryant that they instituted the infamous "Dez Bryant Rules," which were basically a set of regulations that the wideout had to adhere to in order to stay on the team.

Now Bryant has blossomed into one of the NFL's best receivers, and while Dallas certainly wants him to continue his great play, they also want language put into his new contract that protects the team and protects him from himself.

Jerry Jones is adamant about wanting Bryant in a Dallas uniform, but it appears that it will only happen if they are satisfied that they are protected in case he ever gets himself into trouble.