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In the last few months, there has been constant chatter about the Dallas Cowboys looking to rework star wide receiver Dez Bryant's contract.
This has brought forth the possibility that it could potentially lead to the team parting ways if Bryant is unwilling to take a pay cut on his current deal. However, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports has reason to believe that the Cowboys will retain the former Pro Bowl wideout.
The sense I got around the league is that Jerry Jones will not release Dez Bryant (“He'll get him to restructure that contract,” one personnel director told me. “Jerry has a way of getting those things done.”)
Bryant is scheduled to be a $16.5 million salary cap hit for the 2018 campaign with three years left on his five-year, $70 million deal. A reworking of his deal would provide the team with more financial flexibility this offseason than the projected $19.1 million to make additional moves to help improve the roster.
The Cowboys are in the position to franchise tag rising star defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence for the 2018 season and will look to lock him to a long-term deal. Meanwhile, there is a need to re-sign defensive tackle David Irving to a new contract as he will be a restricted free agent. All-Pro offensive guard Zack Martin is also in line to be the latest lineman on the roster to garner a lucrative deal.
Bryant has remained one of the primary focal points of the offense, but his production hasn't been up to the standards of a No. 1 wide receiver as he has failed to crack 70 catches and 1,000 receiving yards in each of the last three seasons. Injuries have played a part in the decline of his numbers, but it may also signal that he is no longer an elite player at his position.
Dallas has a clear desire to keep Bryant, but factoring in his reduced production and need to re-sign other key players on the roster should lead to an interesting conversation between both sides in the coming weeks.
