The future of Dez Bryant in Dallas is uncertain to say at least. He doesn’t want to take a pay cut, and the only way Cowboys are going to keep him if they reduce his salary. Stephen Jones said that if it comes to that, the team will part ways with their No1 Receiver. Former Cowboys WR, now legendary Hall of Famer Michael Irvin thinks Cowboys need to keep Dez on board.
Talking on “The Dan Patrick Show” Irvin said: “You don’t find No. 1 receivers hanging off trees like leaves. So what are you gonna do, let Dez go? Who you got to replace him? You think they can just find No. 1 receivers? Every team would have ’em. They’d litter ’em. They would litter ’em. You don’t find them this easily. The Cowboys would be stupid — stupid — to let this boy go right now.”
But numbers don’t speak in Bryant’s favor. Since signing a five-year $70 million contract in 2015, he didn’t top the 1,000 yards mark in a season. He also failed to produce more than eight touchdowns during one year. Just last season he amassed 69 receptions for 838 yards and 6 TDs. All of those numbers are career low for Bryant.
This would all be good if Dez wasn’t the best-paid player on Dallas roster. His salary cap hit is $16.5 million in 2018. Over the next two years, he will make $12.5 million a season. If they cut him right now, they will save $8.5 million. If he’s released post-June 1st, they will keep $12.5 million, but they will have $4 million of dead money in 2019.
In the past, Bryant had injury issues and is finding it hard to adjust working with Dak Prescott, but he still has few good years ahead of him. So there are two questions Cowboys should ask themselves. First one is whether are they ready to part ways with him and then see him perform somewhere else? Or, are they willing to pay him top money for another mediocre year?
