Dez Bryant Contract: Latest News, Rumors, Speculation Surrounding Cowboys WR

Wide receiver Dez Bryant was unable to reach a long-term deal with the Dallas Cowboys before free agency began, and the team slapped the franchise tag on him. Now, the 26-year-old is preparing to force the team's hand in securing a contract.Continue for updates.Bryant May Skip Week 1Friday, June 12According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, Bryant has considered skipping the Cowboys' Week 1 game against the New York Giants if he doesn't get a long-term deal before the deadline to sign a franchise-tagged player passes."Dez Bryantis contemplating not reporting to theDallas Cowboysfor the regular season opener unless he is signed to a long-term contract by July 15, according to sources familiar with the receiver's negotiation strategy," Mortensen reported.In the same report, Mortensen noted Bryant has not signed his franchise-tag deal that guarantees him $12.8 million. Bryant's agent, Tom Condon, said, "Ourgoal is still to get something done on a long-term basis by the deadline."While the Cowboys still have time to work out a deal, Ross Jones of Fox Sports spoke to a player agent who said teams will "likely" make stars like Bryant play on a franchise deal and that it's "possible" they can get tagged next season.Playing under a fully guaranteed deal for one season does hamper the Cowboys' salary cap in 2015, but it gives them more long-term flexibility without having a huge cap number for a wide receiver on the books.On the other hand, Bryant has emerged as one of the NFL's best wide receivers after leading the league in receiving touchdowns last year (16) and being named to the All-Pro first team.The Cowboys need Bryant to be happy and on the field if they want to make another playoff run in 2015. He would be sacrificing money to skip regular-season games if that's the route he wants to take. The team still has one month to get a deal done, and the Cowboys understand how important Bryant is to the offense. It's not an ideal situation to be in, but Bryant is a rare talent at one of the most important positions on the field. He's earned a long-term extension and needs to force Dallas' hand in this situation.
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