Dez Bryant – Dallas Cowboys: Line Drawn in the Sand
By Reid Hanson

Only hours to the deadline, Dez Bryant issues one final definitive threat to the Dallas Cowboys. No deal – no Dez. The line in the sand is now drawn.
Negotiations are an ugly thing. If they are quickly and painlessly resolved – then someone clearly lost. It’s all about posturing, leverage, and sometimes even…threats.
Now in the 11th hour, we find ourselves in that aforementioned “Threat” territory. Such is the nature…
As much as I love football...on my beautiful babies.. I apologize #cowboynation but I will not be there if no deal #fact
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) July 13, 2015
Dez personally issued his demands via Twitter in order to prove his seriousness. Talk of Dez sitting out games has been dismissed as of late. Since in the past, his representation was the one issuing the threat, no one who knew Dez, took it seriously.
That’s why Dez had to do this. He had to be clear in his message and he had to be public. No deal – no Dez, so to speak.
Now we sit 24 hours away from Wednesday’s 3pm deadline, in worry. That’s exactly how it should be too. Both sides need to feel the pressure. And you can bet both teams ARE feeling the pressure.
Jerry Jones may not be the one calling all of the shots these days, but he still has final say. He also sees his own clock ticking. Jerry knows the time is now, and he probably won’t be around for another roster build. With the Tony Romo window closing, so are Jerry’s chances.
Dez Bryant is obviously feeling the pressure as well. Money and security are important, but the final figure will be about Dez’s respect around the league. It matters to Dez (and most players for that matter) how he’s viewed around the league, and everyone knows – money talks.
Often overlooked in this high-pressure faceoff, is the representation of Dez Bryant, Roc Nation. Roc Nation is the new kid on the block and wants to make a name for themselves. Bryant, Thomas, AJ Green, and Julio Jones are all currently looking for new megadeals. Their respective agents are petrified to set a low bar, and are more inclined to follow someone else’s framework, than set the parameter’s themselves, and subsequently face potential scrutiny.
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Since a contract can’t be agreed upon once the 3pm deadline passes, sitting out practice and games would do little to help the situation. The only leverageable item at that point, is the agreement NOT to use the franchise tag again next season. Agreeing to that would be absurd for the Dallas Cowboys, so it would have the potential to end ugly for everyone involved.
Dez Bryant drew a line in the sand for the Dallas Cowboys AND HIMSELF. He is now on record, threatening action if the results are not obtained. If he backed down from his threat, he would look foolish, weak, and without resolve. He’s forcing himself to stand strong whether he sees it right now or not.
Everyone’s going to have to walk away unhappy on this one if long-term deal is to be struck. Dez Bryant added stress to the situation, but ultimately helped the situation as well. EVERYONE’S feeling the pressure now – and that’s a good thing.
Now let’s go get a deal done, fellas!
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