The Dallas Cowboys and superstar wide receiver Dez Bryant are locked into a game of poker when it comes to the receivers contract. Bryant is looking to get a massive payday, and the Cowboys have been unwilling to give him the demands that he is wanting. He has gone so far as to say that he will hold out of training camp and miss regular season games if they don’t give him a new deal.
Despite the threats that Bryant has been making, the Cowboys need to call his bluff and see what he’s made of.
After losing DeMarco Murray in free agency this past offseason, it would be very tempting for Jerry Jones to just give into the pressure that Bryant is putting on the franchise. Even though that pressure will be tough to ignore, there is no way that Bryant is willing to give up the type of money that he is scheduled to make to prove a point. He may end up holding out of training camp, but there is no way that he will miss the start of the season.
ARLINGTON, TX – DECEMBER 21: Dez Bryant #88 of the Dallas Cowboys makes the touchdown catch as Greg Toler #28 of the Indianapolis Colts defends in the first half at AT&T Stadium on December 21, 2014 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Not only would the money side of things convince Bryant to return to the field, his competitive nature will force him to play. Dallas may miss him for the first game or two of the regular season, but he won’t miss more than that.
During the 2014 season with the Cowboys, Bryant ended up catching 88 passes for 1,320 and 16 touchdowns. He hasn’t even come close to reaching his full potential at 26 years old, and will likely take those numbers and do even more during the upcoming season.
It may be the wisest move for keeping Bryant long-term to cave into his demands, but they can’t allow themselves to be bullied like Bryant is trying to do. Showing weakness and allowing a player to strong-arm them into a new deal would set an example for other players in the future. If Bryant truly wants to play for the Cowboys’ franchise, then he will do it and work with the Cowboys in order to get a new deal done.
Needless to say, this is going to be a very intriguing situation to keep an eye on. Bryant isn’t likely to get a new deal before the deadline for this season, which will put Bryant’s threats into motion. Dallas can’t afford to get nervous that he will follow through with his crazy comments, and need to work with the thought in mind that he will come to his senses when he realizes how much money he will lose.
Expect to see him come back fairly early on in his holdout and prove that his threats were nothing more than empty.
On the other hand, if he does hold up to his end of the threats, the Cowboys are going to be comfortable with the fact that they did their best to be reasonable. Bryant would be proving that he isn’t the type of player that should be paid franchise caliber money, and quite simply is already proving that fact by making the type of statements that he has made.
