The 2017 season was a frustrating one for the Dallas Cowboys and their star wide receiver, Dez Bryant, and vice president Stephen Jones admitted that he wasn't happy with some of Bryant's actions.
The eight-year veteran has spent his entire career in Dallas, reaching three Pro Bowls while earning one First-team All-Pro nod in 2014. That season, Bryant led the NFL with 16 touchdown receptions.
However, over the last three years, the Oklahoma State product's numbers have dipped. After an injury-riddled 2015 campaign, Bryant failed to eclipse the 1,000-yard plateau in 2016 for the first time in a full season since 2011. He managed to stay on the field for all 16 games this year, but he again failed to reach that benchmark, finishing with 838 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
As a result, the Cowboys have reportedly contemplated asking Bryant to take a pay-cut from the five-year, $70-million extension he inked back in 2015, but he reportedly is not open to doing so.
With all of Bryant's guaranteed money paid off, Dallas could cut him for significant savings on the salary cap (between $8.5 and $12 million depending on the timing). The possibility of that happening gained traction with Stephen, son of Jerry Jones, admitting that the receiver's sideline actions can be distracting.
Here are some of Jones' comments, courtesy of Kate Hairopoulos of the Dallas Morning News and the “Hangin' With The Boys” podcast:
“The other thing that we all see and it is certainly visible to anyone who watches our games, watches our sideline, is Dez is certainly a fiery guy who plays with a lot of emotion both on and off the field. Sometimes that can be a distraction. It can be a distraction for Dez, it can be a distraction for other teammates. And we just have to really get our hands around when you put all the full body of work together where that's headed.”
The storied franchise followed up an impressive 13-3 campaign in 2016 by missing the postseason entirely this year. All-Pro running back Ezekiel Elliott's six-game suspension has been pointed to as the main culprit, but injuries at key positions and a drop-off in production from much of their core sunk the ship.
Yet, despite watching the playoffs from home this winter, there is a great deal of optimism within the organization looking ahead to the 2018 season. If they fill some of their more glaring roster holes in free agency and through the upcoming NFL Draft, and then maintain their health once the regular season-slate begins, there's an expectation that Dallas will return to the postseason.
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