Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant led the NFL in touchdown catches last season, but that may not be good enough for the team to hand him a long-term deal in the range he's seeking. Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones said a "wide gap" exists between Bryant and his agents and the team.
"This is an environment, especially with [the wide receiver] market, that it's not easy to get your hands around," Jones said. "The top wide receivers have been paid in the $11 million to $12 million range and that makes it difficult.
"Once we figure it out, there's a way for us to get it done with Dez. Until that happens, what teams think versus what the players and their representatives think, there's a wide gap right now."
Should Bryant play under the franchise tag ($12.823 million) he will be the highest paid wide receiver in 2015 along with Denver's Demaryius Thomas, who was also slapped with the franchise tag. Bryant wants long term security however, the likes of which were doled out to Calvin Johnson (seven years, $113 million) and Larry Fitzgerald before him.
Some sources close to the situation have said they expect Bryant to hold out from training camp this summer, and he may even emulate former Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith and extend it into the regular season. Bryant's agent Tom Condon is not publicly commenting on whether or not that rumor about a holdout is true.
Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett treaded lightly when discussing Bryant's contract. "That's being floated by other people. We're not really focused on that," Garrett said.
"Dez is getting ready to come to work. He's going to work hard every day, whether he's in the building or outside the building."
Bryant did make an appearance during OTAs, an unusual move for a player currently not under contract and reportedly considering an extended holdout.
[ESPN]
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