Dez Bryant's contract expires after the 2014 season and he's scheduled to become a free agent in 2015, but the Dallas Cowboys aren't going to allow that to happen even if it means slapping him with the franchise tag and risking the loss of running back DeMarco Murray.
Cowboys ‘won’t lose’ Dez Bryant, willing to use franchise tag
The Dallas Cowboys would reportedly franchise tag Dez Bryant if necessary, even if that means the team could lose DeMarco Murray.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, the Cowboys are “far more likely” to give Bryant the franchise tag designation if the team is forced to choose between the receiver and Murray. That is because of the value of the tag between the two positions, as well as an unwillingness to part ways with Bryant, who has developed into one of the NFL’s best receivers and a player Dallas “won’t lose,” per Rapoport.
The "value of the tag" may seem like a counterintuitive concept, since tagged running backs received $9.54 million in 2013, while wide receivers were given $12.312 million. However, the value of the positions has changed in recent years. A three-year deal worth $10.5 million for Toby Gerhart with the Jacksonville Jaguars was the highest contract given to a running back, while multiple receivers were given much more, including Eric Decker, who received a five-year, $36.25 million deal from the New York Jets.
If Bryant reached the free agency market, he would undoubtedly haul in a big contract, considering the Cowboys have already reportedly offered the receiver more than $100 million and were turned down due to a lack of guaranteed money.
Even if the franchise tag number for receivers eclipses $13 million, it is still a mark that isn’t outrageous for an elite wide receiver and something the Cowboys would apparently be willing to pay to ensure that their 2010 first-round pick is still on the team in 2015.
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