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Dez Bryant is playing his cards right

By Kevin Parvizi

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The Denver Broncos and Demaryius Thomas aren’t expected to reach a long-term agreement ahead of Wednesday’s deadline to sign franchise tagged players to new deals, and right now Dallas Cowboys elite wide receiver Dez Bryant, who is one of the five best players at the position, is doing everything in his power to make sure that he ends up with a huge contract that matches the consistently elite levels of production that he’s maintained over the past three seasons.

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Earlier today, ESPN’s Ed Werder reported that Bryant is indeed serious about holding out of training camp and actual games, as he told executive vice president Stephen Jones this straight up. The Cowboys were once again quick to deflate this situation, as Jones denied this report in a text to Werder.

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Well, we can all agree that Werder’s initial report was unequivocally correct, because the man himself has spoken. Bryant took to Twitter today to make it clear that he is indeed serious about holding out, and the Cowboys have been put on notice and in an awkward spot, given the unusual amount of leverage their star receiver has in this situation.

Here’s the tweet from Bryant, which puts it all in no uncertain terms.

It’s an almost unprecedented step from Bryant to make things so public, but I’m sure the Cowboys will be quick to call his bluff. Even though Bryant is a well-established player in this league, missing game time can reflect poorly on a player and is rarely ever done, especially when said player has just one year on his contract. Bryant can still net a huge payday even if he holds out of some games, but it’s a huge risk, even if it could show the Cowboys just how important he is.

The risk is that it could prevent him from maximizing his profits, and I’m sure Bryant would also really like to help his team win some key games (they, of course, play Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Prince Amukamara, and the rival New York Giants in Week 1) as they look to progress further in the playoffs this season.

Complicating things further is the whole “character” angle, because there are still some people who don’t like Bryant and view him as an immature player, with this contract stand-off not doing him any favors in the opinions of some. Given that the Cowboys have used gameday leaks to try and make Bryant’s contract cheaper in what could be a smear campaign from the organization, missing games could give other teams an excuse to pay Bryant less in 2016.

Vincent Jackson did the exact same thing, and he’s one of the three highest-paid receivers in the NFL right now. The difference is that Jackson wasn’t tagged, and he had 1,100 yards in his contract year before the cash-rich Tampa Bay Buccaneers splurged on their elite wideout.

Whatever the case, it’s an even bigger risk for the Cowboys to call Bryant’s bluff and come up empty, because they simply cannot afford to lose their second-most important player for even a single game. This is a guy who has caught over 1,200 receiving yards in each of the past three seasons; led all WRs with 16 touchdowns in 2014 after catching a combined 25 TDs in 2012 and 2013; and he’s put up 92, 93, and 88 receptions in each of the past three seasons, respectively.

Those are not numbers that are easy to replace, and the man has been among the NFL’s leaders in WR Rating in each of those three seasons. As the link in the previous sentence explains, we’re talking about a guy who has a serious shot at unseating Calvin Johnson as the league’s highest-paid receiver, because he’s a monstrous red zone weapon, a consistent perform (despite his unfair “reputation” as an immature brat), and he’s just 26. Given his size and ball skills, he’s also not a guy who will decline early, so a long-term extension would safely lock a top-five wideout through his prime.

We all know that Tony Romo might only have a few years left in him, and he needs Bryant, who knows exactly when to move towards Romo and break his route when his free-lancing QB “does his thing”, to be there for him. With DeMarco Murray already a member of the rival Philadelphia Eagles after the Cowboys ran him down to a career year in 2014, the Cowboys simply cannot afford to lose the other member of their elite offensive trio.

Veteran Jason Witten is an excellent TE, Cole Beasley is an underrated and reliable slot receiver, and Terrance Williams can stretch the field. But none of those guys are difference-makers like Dez, and they can’t win in double-coverage or consistently make key plays like the uber-athletic Oklahoma State product.

Dez Bryant is a genius right now, because he’s called out Jones and the Cowboys. Since the deadline is just two days away, Bryant knows that he can use his leverage to potentially devastating effect by trying to scare the crap out of Jerry Jones and the organization. It might not work, because unlike in the past (Dan Bailey is my favorite example of this), the Cowboys aren’t paying “their own” handsomely anymore after once having perennial cap issues with “kicking the can down the road” as their only option.

Jan 4, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant (88) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions in the NFC Wild Card Playoff Game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

But while the Cowboys are a different organization in thought process, Bryant’s importance has only increased with Romo’s age and, now, Murray’s absence.

With so many needs on defense, the Cowboys can’t afford to head into 2016 with a need at wide receiver, especially since it’s hard to develop the innate chemistry that Romo and Bryant have so clearly shared over the years.

Jones thought the could swiftly deny Werder’s report and diffuse the situation, but Bryant boldly called out Jones’s lie through Twitter. He’s put the heat on the Cowboys, and we’ll see if the 2014 NFC East champions respond in an even bolder manner.

I’m sure Romo is quietly pining hard for Bryant to stay after Murray’s departure this offseason, and I’m sure Williams and Beasley don’t want to lose a wideout who has consistently afforded them more space.

Williams would especially miss his former partner in 2016 if Bryant goes, as the elite receiver allows Williams much more room, especially to use his vertical speed (we saw this against the Detroit Lions in the playoffs).

What a way to leverage your talents, especially given the situation the Super-Bowl-or-bust Cowboys are in. Well, the situation the Cowboys are in (high ambitions, veteran QB, no other top receivers, Bryant’s stats in each of the past three years) is precisely why Bryant has enough leverage to pull this off as a non-QB.

Next: Is Romo A Top 5 Quarterback?

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