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After months of speculation, the Dallas Cowboys have finally cut wide receiver Dez Bryant following his meeting with owner Jerry Jones on Friday.
Jones released a statement (per Pat Doney of NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth) shortly after to explain the team’s move to part ways with the star wideout. In it, he said it was not an easy decision, but they made it anyway believing it is what is “in the best interest of the Dallas Cowboys.”
“As an organization we hold Dez Bryant in the highest regard, and we are grateful for his passion, spirit and contributions to this team for the past eight years. He will always be a valued member of our family,” Jones said. “Dez and I share a personal and professional relationship that is very strong, and he is one of just a handful of players with whom I have become that close to over the past 30 years.
“This was not an easy decision. It was made based upon doing what we believe is in the best interest of the Dallas Cowboys. We arrived at this crossroad collectively with input from several voices within the organization. Ultimately we determined it was time to go in a new direction.”
The Cowboys likely came to the conclusion that it was no longer practical to take on a $16.5 million cap hit on a player who is no longer anywhere near worth that much.
The sad reality is that Bryant has not been an elite wide receiver for some time now. After going three consecutive years with at least 1,200 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns, he has failed to top even 1,000 yards in each of the past three seasons. It just made sense for them to finally cut their losses.
The Cowboys will now save half of Bryant’s cap hit for this season after his release. They can also finally try to find their next star wideout of the future, which is in their best interest long-term.
