With the Dallas Cowboys on a bye week, Dez Bryant’s contract situation has become the hot topic du jour in North Texas.
Of course, the Cowboys haven’t done much to make the story go away. First, a report surfaced saying Dallas would be hesitant to sign Bryant to a long-term deal due to concerns about off-the-field issues. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones refuted that report in short order and said he wanted Bryant to be a Cowboy for life. For his part, Bryant publicly told the Cowboys this week, “Don’t test my loyalty.”
But, for all the public posturing going on, Jones says the talks are not a distraction.
“It’s not a distraction at all,” Jones said, per the Dallas Morning News. “It obviously didn’t distract Dez [when he caught six passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns Sunday in London], and it doesn’t distract us. It’s a meaningful contract to the degree that it does and will impact our financial management of our salary cap, which is a big part of what helps get a good team on the field. So it deserves the kind of attention that we’re giving it. ...”
Bryant declared prior to the season that he intended to shelf contract talks once the season began, but apparently that idea has gone out the window, as negotiations between the two sides have apparently been going on for some time.
“He’s a loyal guy and we’re loyal guys,” Jones said. “Of all the players that I’ve been associated with over the years, I’ve had a chance to probably have more personal interaction with Dez. Probably as much as with Michael Irvin back in the early ‘90s, but certainly a lot of personal interaction, inordinately so.
“We have both had a chance to show that we really work well together, we’re very loyal, you can count on us. And I say us, him to, you can count on us if the hair gets short, you get a little problem, we can count on each other to work it out. And that’s the way it’s been for the first five years that we’ve been together.”
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