Jerry Jones Wants to Keep Dez Bryant in Dallas as a Cowboy

Want to feel old? Dez Bryant is an NFL veteran. He’s coming up on his 9th year in the league and is slated to make $12.5 million in 2018 after making $13 million in 2018.

There has been talk in recent years that Bryant, who caught just 69 passes for 838 yards and 6 TDs in 2017, is on the decline and that Dallas needs to get his big contract off their books. Owner Jerry Jones addressed that this week.

“As I sit here, do we want him on the team next year?” Jones asked reporters. “The answer is yes.” He affirmed that he would probably address the contract, though, to help Dallas become a player in free agency. There are a number of different moves they can make to free up money for free agency. (NFL salary structure makes the tax code look appealing!)

“We have addressed guys in the prime of their careers’ contract[s] before,” Jones told reporters. “We have made adjustments in their contracts. We continue to look for ways to improve your value on your roster. But Dez has a history with me on the Cowboys of working with his money. He is not the only one that that’s happened.”

So all of that is pretty interesting, especially in the wake of the 5-year, $70 million contract Dez signed three years ago. It would be pretty weird to see him on another team, but I’d have to think cutting him or trading him at some point (to save the money) is at least on the table. Moves Michael Irvin vehemently disagrees with (shocker).

“You don’t find No. 1 receivers hanging off trees like leaves. So what are you going to do, let Dez go? Who you got to replace him,” Irvin asked DallasCowboys.com. “You don’t find them this easily. And the Cowboys would be stupid – stupid – to let this boy go right now.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM9xbenJCBU