Dallas Cowboys: Don’t Test Dez Bryant’s Loyalty

By Dink Kearney | Feb 19, 2015

Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Just when you thought the Dallas Cowboys had turned the corner on common sense, just when you thought they had put the organization back on the right track, just when you knew mediocrity was no longer accepted and was the past, they remind you that’s not the case. They remind you that they love playing with fire. Fire that will burn you and bring the whole damn house down.

You would think that after having one of their most successful seasons in a very long time, and having their new version of the “triplets”, the Cowboys would ride the momentum of their 12-4 season into next season.

But that’s not the case.

The Cowboys, or shall I say the “Lost Boys”, are seriously thinking about tagging their star receiver, Dez Bryant.

According to ESPN.com’s Todd Archer, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said the Cowboys are heading in that direction.

“Right now we’re probably leaning that way. But that doesn’t mean it won’t change,” Jones said. “We’ll probably wait til the midnight hour to make that decision.”

You don’t need to wait til the midnight hour to make that ill advised decision. The only decision to make is the one that makes common sense. Sign Bryant to a long term deal. It’s that simple. Period.

He doesn’t need any franchise tag. He is arguably one of the top two receivers in the league, if not the best in my humble opinion. Because nobody, and I mean nobody, dominates man coverage like him. And he definetely motivates the hell out of the Cowboys, showing true leadership. Always inspiring his teammates.

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And it’s very interesting how all of a sudden, Bryant has “character issues!” Where were these issues during the regular season? When Bryant torched every defensive back en route to 16 receiving TD’s and 1,320 receiving yards. Why didn’t we hear about these issues the night Bryant scored three touchdowns against the Eagles and gave the Cowboys the division lead for good?

Oh I’m sorry, the Cowboys’ brass were too busy throwing up Bryant’s signature “X” sign after he scored a touchdown to talk about character issues.

I never like it when an organization denigrates a player’s character to justify not paying him his money. The Cowboys claim they still have concerns about Bryant’s off the field behavior. What behavior? There haven’t been any known arrests.

Or domestic violence charges. No drinking and driving charges. No child abuse charges. No disturbing the peace charges. No theft charges. No murder charges. And he’s definitely not taking the school children’s lunch money!

So what are the Cowboys talking about?

Because if he were accused of all the above charges, we would have known about it and I certainly wouldn’t be defending him. I would expect the Cowboys to franchise tag him.

But you get the point.

The other point I want to make is that Bryant has scored double-digit TD’s and he has 56 TD’s in five seasons. He’s in some elite company. Only two more WR’s have more TD’s in five seasons than Bryant. Guess who they are? Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (66) and future Hall of Famer Randy Moss (60).

Wow! Now that’s elite! Two of the best ever.

And the Cowboys are talking about a franchise tag after what Bryant has accomplished in five seasons? Especially after this season?

Go ahead and give him the contract extension already. Which he deserves. Make him the highest paid WR in the league.

And I didn’t forget about Bryant’s past behavioral issues. But that’s what they are, at least I thought they were, past issues. The Cowboys aren’t dealing with a Josh Gordon, Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, Greg Hardy, Freddy Kruger, or Jason Voorhees. They are dealing with Dez Bryant.

Because if the Cowboys don’t pay Bryant, some other team will and the Cowboys will be in his past.

So instead of Bryant throwing up his signature “X” sign, he will throw up his finger. And it won’t be his pinky finger either.

But that’s what will happen if the Cowboys test his loyalty.

So Don’t test it.

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