JJT: Note to Jerry - Stop lowballing Dez

Note to Jerry: Stop lowballing Dez
Talented, hardworking wide receiver wants the market-value deal he's earned
Updated: February 25, 2015, 12:32 PM ET
By Jean-Jacques Taylor | ESPNDallas.com

IRVING, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is lowballing Dez Bryant -- and he's been doing it for months.

Remember, the Cowboys compared Bryant to Washington Redskins receiver DeSean Jackson during training camp, among the silliest comparisons you'll ever hear. Jackson is a supreme deep threat; Bryant is among the game's best receivers.

Lowballing Bryant has zero to do with any concerns about Bryant's off-the-field activities. Nor does it have anything to do with any alleged video.

While the Cowboys will tell you they've yet to have a meaningful conversation with Bryant's agent, Tom Condon, it wouldn't matter if they had.

Jerry isn't offering Bryant a lucrative long-term deal for one reason: He doesn't have to do it.

It's really that simple, but just because the rules allow a franchise to take advantage of a player doesn't mean it should. So Bryant, first-team All-Pro this season, has every reason to be mad, annoyed, disappointed or any other adjective you want to use to describe his mood.

The Cowboys threw the ball 110 fewer times in 2014 than in 2013, yet Bryant still caught 88 passes for 1,320 and established a new franchise record with 16 touchdowns. He has at least 1,230 yards each of the past three seasons and scored 41 touchdowns.

He continues to emerge as this team's heartbeat, a player whose passion serves as a catalyst for others. No one on this team practices harder. And no one plays harder. And no one touches every other unit on the roster. Bryant is as likely to hang with a practice squad player on defense as he with is DeMarco Murray. His personality resonates with everybody.

During one quiet moment the last week of the regular season, Bryant chastised practice squad receiver Chris Boyd for not meeting him for a lifting session as they sat at his locker. Then Bryant explained to Boyd the importance of lifting during the season.

The Cowboys show their appreciation by lowballing him. It's fine if linebacker Sean Lee and right tackle Tyron Smith choose to accept team-friendly deals. Tony Romo didn't take a team-friendly deal. He took a market-value deal that will pay him $108 million over six seasons. Good for him; Romo earned the extension through his performance and the Cowboys took care of him.

Now, Bryant wants the market-value deal he's earned. Until he gets it, he's going to be frustrated and occasionally pop off on Twitter, which is what athletes his age do these days.

Jerry has been the king of overspending for years, and now he's decided it's time to make a change. From a business-model perspective, it makes sense considering the Cowboys have been in salary-cap jail for years and they're no longer interested in playing that game.

If Bryant wants to sign a team-friendly deal, the Cowboys can get it done by the end of the week. If not, the Cowboys will put the franchise tag on him by March 2.

Sure, the tag pays him nearly $13 million this season, more money than 99 percent of the folks on this planet will see in a lifetime.

So what?

Bryant has talent that 99 percent of the folks on this planet don't possess. Bryant wants market value, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Market value in the world of elite receivers is a five- or six-year deal that averages about $14 million and guarantees Bryant $35 million to $40 million.

Don't believe any poppycock about the Cowboys being close to a deal with Bryant during the season before he changed agents, because that's organizational propaganda at it its best.

The Cowboys never offered him any deal with more than $30 million in guaranteed money, which means Bryant was never interested in that deal. The Cowboys offered him a deal with about $20 million in guaranteed money.

How insulting.

If they franchise Bryant this season and next season, he'll earn about $28 million in guaranteed money. Given that, it makes no sense for him to sign a long-term deal that guarantees him less than he'd earn if he were franchised each of the next two seasons.

Bryant is not alone. The Denver Broncos have told receiver Demaryius Thomas to expect the franchise tag unless a long-term deal can be worked out, and the New York Giants have told defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul the same thing.

Bryant's switch from agent Eugene Parker to Roc Nation, which is headed by Jay Z, even though Condon's handling of negotiations hasn't helped his situation.

Whenever a player changes agents, it's normally because the new guy (Condon) has persuaded the player that he can get a much better deal for him than the previous guy (Parker) could get him.

Otherwise, what's the point of making a move. The Cowboys didn't want to pay Bryant what Parker was trying to get him, so it's hard to believe Condon is going to negotiate a better deal anytime soon.

Eventually, it seems like a deal will get done, but it's not going to happen until the Cowboys stop lowballing Bryant and actually try to negotiate.

Until then, check Twitter often.

Debating Dez Bryant's guaranteed money
February, 25, 2015

By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com

IRVING, Texas -- ESPN Dallas columnist Jean-Jacques Taylor came out fairly strong in saying the Dallas Cowboys need to stop lowballing wide receiver Dez Bryant in contract talks.

Taylor wrote: "Jerry isn't offering Bryant a lucrative long-term deal for one reason: He doesn't have to do it."

There is probably a lot of truth to that. In the past Jones has been criticized for overpaying players when he did not have to do it.

Taylor offered up what he thinks Bryant should get and what has happened with the negotiations between the Cowboys and Bryant:
Market value in the world of elite receivers is a five- or six-year deal that averages about $14 million and guarantees Bryant $35 million to $40 million.

Don't believe any poppycock about the Cowboys being close to a deal with Bryant during the season before he changed agents, because that's organizational propaganda at its best.

The Cowboys never offered him any deal with more than $30 million in guaranteed money, which means Bryant was never interested in that deal. The Cowboys offered him a deal with about $20 million in guaranteed money.

How insulting.

Jones said last week from the NFL scouting combine the Cowboys thought they were close to a deal with Bryant. Perhaps one person’s definition of “close” and another person’s definition are different, but it's likely why Bryant switched agents last fall.

The Cowboys have not had any detailed talks with Bryant’s new agents, Kim Miale of Roc Nation and CAA’s Tom Condon. They didn’t talk at the combine either. Everything is pointing toward the franchise tag at this point.

But if I have to contest one thing from Taylor's column it is the amount of guaranteed money the Cowboys are willing to commit.

Since the talk of using the franchise tag on Bryant has been around since last summer when a long-term deal did not get done, the fact that the team only would be willing to guarantee “about $20 million,” doesn’t make much sense to me.

The franchise tag figures to come in at close to $13 million for receivers in 2015. For the sake of math, let’s use that figure. That $13 million would be fully guaranteed once Bryant signs the tender. The Cowboys can also use the tag in 2016, which would be an increase of 120 percent, which means they would be willing to guarantee Bryant another $15.6 million.

At the very least Bryant is looking at $28.6 million in guaranteed money over the next two years based off the franchise tag.

Just logically it would follow that Bryant would not accept a deal that did not include at least that much guaranteed. Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson has the most guaranteed money among receivers at $48.7 million. Before his recent deal, Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald was second at $27 million along with Miami Dolphins receiver Mike Wallace.

From there it goes to Vincent Jackson ($26 million), Andre Johnson ($20.5 million) and Dwayne Bowe ($20 million).

So based off the franchise tag over the next two years, Bryant’s guarantee would already be second-most to Johnson.

The debate is how close Bryant gets to Johnson in the guaranteed money. Does he want just a little more? Will he take a little less? How high are the Cowboys willing to go?

All great questions that cannot be answered at this time.

But if there was a holdup in the discussions during the season, that was likely it.

Pay the dude the damn money.

He's the best player on the team and the closest thing we've had to a Michael Irvin kind of leader and team player since 1999.

Get it done already.

Ooops.

Too bad we don't have more players like Tom Brady. A true leader, and his willingness to take team friendly deals filters down to everyone else.

BipolarFan said:

Too bad we don't have more players like Tom Brady. A true leader, and his willingness to take team friendly deals filters down to everyone else.

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This is the biggest myth out there Brady never left any money on the table he only restructured his contract.

He still gets every dollar he originally signed for.

http://deadspin.com/5987034/actually-tom-brady-is-getting-a-raise

A few things here.

1. Odd timing for this article given the spectre of an incriminating tape hanging over everything. That absolutely affects this process.

2. To call an offer of $20 million guaranteed "insulting" is in itself insulting. I don't care what the context. It may be below market, but it's not insulting.

3. It's pathetic when reporters take player negotiations so personally. Dez is not your brother-in-law, JJT. Reel in the indignation a little.

4. The Cowboys are trying to be smart. Given the legitimate criticism over throwing around money in the past, they should be praised for not giving Dez a blank check.They aren't lowballing Dez, they are trying to keep the team viable. The point is to win, not pay players what they think they are worth.

5. JJT really needs to drop poppycock from his vocabulary.

Jiggyfly said:

This is the biggest myth out there Brady never left any money on the table he only restructured his contract.

He still gets every dollar he originally signed for.

http://deadspin.com/5987034/actually-tom-brady-is-getting-a-raise

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He does, but it is for well under his market value.

Genghis Khan said:

A few things here.

1. Odd timing for this article given the spectre of an incriminating tape hanging over everything. That absolutely affects this process.

2. To call an offer of $20 million guaranteed "insulting" is in itself insulting. I don't care what the context. It may be below market, but it's not insulting.

3. It's pathetic when reporters take player negotiations so personally. Dez is not your brother-in-law, JJT. Reel in the indignation a little.

4. The Cowboys are trying to be smart. Given the legitimate criticism over throwing around money in the past, they should be praised for not giving Dez a blank check.They aren't lowballing Dez, they are trying to keep the team viable. The point is to win, not pay players what they think they are worth.

5. JJT really needs to drop poppycock from his vocabulary.

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I don't know if insulting is the right word, but Dwayne Bowe money is kind of a joke of an offer.

Our "leaders" would rather wring every last cent they can get out of Jerry rather than take a little less, still be stinking fucking rich and leave money for other good players and compete for championships.

BipolarFan said:

Our "leaders" would rather wring every last cent they can get out of Jerry rather than take a little less, still be stinking fucking rich and leave money for other good players and compete for championships.

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Yeah, because all other teams' leaders would just damn near almost pay to get to play for their team.

Iamtdg said:

Yeah, because all other teams' leaders would just damn near almost pay to get to play for their team.

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Um, I said take a little less so you can have more good players. A little less. Yeah

BipolarFan said:

Our "leaders" would rather wring every last cent they can get out of Jerry rather than take a little less, still be stinking fucking rich and leave money for other good players and compete for championships.

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I've never quite been able to comprehend this.

Players take to the media like "We need to bring so and so back," but you never see them offering up pay cuts to make it happen.

This is a salary cap world. There is a finite amount of dollars available. If the limit was Jerry Jones' bank account I'd be all for getting every cent.

But every dollar these guys get effect the ability to pay their brothers in the locker room. It's like they don't think about these things.

Maybe winning just isn't as important to these guys as you'd wish it would be.

I don't even money is the primary motivator for some of them.

Gots to get dat RESPECT man.

Romo on the other hand probably has a bitch wife that told him not to come home until he could wring every last fucking dime possible from teh Jer.

I dont mind paying a player what he is worth as long as they don't have any hesitation signing a performance clause. The guarenteed money paid out to players doing constant rehab is a one way street deal.

mschmidt64 said:

I've never quite been able to comprehend this.

Players take to the media like "We need to bring so and so back," but you never see them offering up pay cuts to make it happen.

This is a salary cap world. There is a finite amount of dollars available. If the limit was Jerry Jones' bank account I'd be all for getting every cent.

But every dollar these guys get effect the ability to pay their brothers in the locker room. It's like they don't think about these things.

Maybe winning just isn't as important to these guys as you'd wish it would be.

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I agree. They do it in the NBA. Dez and Murray are perfect cases in point.

If they each accepted, say, 10 percent less than market, it wouldn't affect their lifestyles at all. Romo too. Add in Tyron Smith, and suddenly there's a big impact on our cap.

Genghis Khan said:

I agree. They do it in the NBA. Dez and Murray are perfect cases in point.

If they each accepted, say, 10 percent less than market, it wouldn't affect their lifestyles at all. Romo too. Add in Tyron Smith, and suddenly there's a big impact on our cap.

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The problem is the NFL is different in that you have 53 guys going against the cap. One single player isn't eating up 1/3 of your cap like in basketball. So it's hard to convince 3 players on an NFL team to take a little less money when the next guy up on the roster will just sign a bigger deal.