In less than three months, I will be graduating with a
degree in Journalism and I am confident in getting a job very quickly. It won’t
be at some small-town newspaper, but I am gunning to be running NBC’s Pro
Football Talk. After what Mike Florio pulled these last two weeks over the Dez
Bryant situation, I am supremely confident I could do a better job without any experience
necessary. Florio started this insane witch-hunt over a mysterious video tape
that allegedly shows Bryant doing something criminal. Here he talks to Shan and
RJ on 105.3 The FAN about the tape for the first time and created a media fire
storm.
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2015/02/20/mike-florio-on-rumors-holding-up-dezs-contract-talks/
Luckily, the firestorm has died down as facts have replaces speculation
and there doesn’t seem to be any evidence of any videotape. As I am writing
this, so far all the incidents that Bryant has been involved in have been known
to the Dallas Cowboys. My point in all of this is to implore all reporters to
replace rumors and speculation with cold, hard facts. Now, let’s get back to talking
about real sports.
Dallas Cowboys:
The Cowboys are gearing up now in free-agency as we now know
what they plan to do and it is what we all expected they would do. According to
Mark Lane of Fox Sports Southwest, Cowboys COO Stephen Jones said they plan to
put the franchise tag on Bryant by the deadline tomorrow. The tag will pay
Bryant roughly $13 million in 2015. The Cowboys believe this will only be a
placeholder and allow the team to continue to have more time to work out a
long-term deal with Bryant.
"We just don't want to lose his rights," Jones
said. "We think Dez is a, you know, unique player and certainly a big part
of what we do in terms of what we've done, our success, and certainly going
forward."
I am not surprised by the move, because why would the
Cowboys want to let go their second-most important player. The franchise tag
just prevents Dez from getting interest from other teams and allows the both
sides to talk over a long-term deal until July 15th. In my opinion,
this will get done by the Summer time and at the latest by the deadline. The
Jones family is known to get stuff done around deadlines.
Yet, the pessimistic fans out there are worried and yelling
about why haven’t the Cowboys backed up the money truck to Dez’s front door.
There are two answers and they are quite simple to understand.
First off, the
Cowboys aren’t in the business of paying big-time contracts to players anymore.
Their sins of the past have come back to haunt them and that is why they have
been in terrible cap situations over the years. With Stephen Jones running the show now, there
has been a change in philosophy. They don’t want to pay the big bucks until
they know for sure they can trust the player and it will pay off in the end.
That leads me to my second point on the hesitation of the Cowboys to pay the “big
bucks”.
It has nothing to do with off-the-field issues; it has to do
with health. I am thinking the team is worried about the amount of back issues
that have crept up over the past few years. While it hasn’t affected Bryant in
terms of missing games, it has concerns. If these back issues keep coming up,
why pay big money for a player that could miss games.
Regardless, according to Mike Fisher of CowboysHQ.com, the
Cowboys were close to deal with Bryant in October, but he switched agents. That
pushed back negotiations back to square one. The Cowboys and Bryant’s new
agent, Tom Condon, finally talked on the phone and it seems like negotiations will
start soon. Like I said before, I believe they will get Bryant locked up and he
will be a Cowboy-for-life.
Another All-Pro Cowboy won’t be returning to join Bryant next
season, in my personal opinion. Mark Lane also reported that Stephen Jones said
it is likely running back Demarco Murray will test free agency.
"[Murray] is probably going to, you know, get some
peace and see what's out in the market and then we'll talk and see. I do
believe deep down he'd love to stay in Dallas."
Murray, who had a MVP-caliber season last season, knows this
will be his last chance for a big contract. Running backs these days only get
one chance at the big one and after that it is chump change. That is just how
running backs are valued these days in the NFL. So what would make sense for
Murray in the long run? Take less money and stay on a good team and compete for
a title or go to another team simply for the money?
What I think will happen is that he will leave to the
Indianapolis Colts. The Colts have a lot of cap-room, they desperately need a
running back, and they are poised to get to the Super Bowl, especially if they
add a player like Murray.
So Cowboy fans, start trying to imagine life without Murray
and let us start trying to piece together the search for his replacement.
Tomorrow’s preview:
We are going to talk about the Rondo problem with the Mavs,
Texas Rangers talk, and we look into the multiple options for Demarco Murray’s replacement.
Great inspirational Sports Quote of the Day:
“I always felt that my greatest asset was not my physical ability, it
was my mental ability.”
– Bruce Jenner
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