Contract Issues
You can’t enjoy the sunny days without some rainy ones. Even the unbeatable New England Patriots can’t carry on winning the Super Bowl every year. In the same way, the Dallas Cowboys have some serious things to think about this offseason. One of the greater objects of curiosity is the future of Dez Bryant.
Bryant is scheduled to take up a salary of fought $16.5 million. The issue is that he hasn’t produced like a receiver who is worth that price tag. Because of this, the Dallas Cowboys will try to negotiate a pay cut with Bryant. When it was last brought up, Bryant shot it down. So to understand the situation, it’s important to look at his production.
The Hard Truth
Bryant hasn’t had a 1,000-yard receiving season since 2014 where he chalked up a total of 1,320 yards. In 2015, he was injured and only played nine games and had 401 yards. His 2016 season offered a little more production as he played 13 games and had 796 yards. The saying goes though, you’re only as good as your last fight. To apply that to football, you’re only as good as the last season. Dez Bryant played in 16 games. He caught 69 receptions for 838 yards with six touchdowns. That season is not spectacular by any means. For some reason though, Bryant feels that he is worth an elite receiver’s pay. This has many fans and media questioning his future with the team.
To expand on this idea, let’s compare the 2017 season of Dez Bryant with that of Antonio Brown, one of the NFL’s top wideouts for the past few years. Bryant played in 16 games and caught 69 receptions for 838 yards and six touchdowns. Brown, on the other hand, played in 14 games and had 101 receptions for 1,533 yards and nine touchdowns. Bryant’s pay is $16.5 million while Brown is getting $17 million.
How To Respond
Something here doesn’t seem right.
It hurts Dallas fans’ hearts to say but if Dez Bryant doesn’t take a pay cut with a contract restructure, then he should be cut. He is no longer the Bryant of old. The Bryant who was an elite receiver. It seems as though those times have passed. He is getting older. He is losing a step and can’t create the separation he really needs. The only thing that can be said in his defense is the lack of Ezekiel Elliott this year contributed to his loss of production. It’s still not a fair pay Bryant his massive salary though. He needs to earn his pay. Regardless, the Dallas Cowboys may need to turn the focus to finding a potential replacement for Dez Bryant. Whether that means scrounging in free agency or looking to the draft, the Cowboys need to find a way to either get a restructured contract or a replacement.