Quotables: Alex Smith doesn’t want to be a distraction, Jerry Jones wants to re-sign Dez Bryant

-- Alex Smith on his contract negotiations, via the Kansas City Star.

Alex Smith and the Chiefs continue to have discussions about a new contract, but with progress reportedly minimal, the Chiefs quarterback said the talks could be tabled at some point. Smith is an interesting situation. He's an average to slightly above-average starting quarterback, which in the current state of the NFL makes him a valuable commodity. How valuable is a tough question to answer. Quarterback contracts are rapidly on the rise, but is Smith worth the same as Colin Kaepernick or Joe Flacco? The Chiefs might not think so which is why the Kansas City Star reported there are significant differences in negotiations. Smith said there will be a point before the season where negotiations come to an end, with or without a deal. He does not want his contract status to be a distraction for the team and talks will instead be tabled for the season if no deal is reached before then. With an apparent significant divide and not much time before the season, the two sides may need to close the gap quickly.

-- Jerry Jones on his desire to re-sign Dez Bryant, via the Star-Telegram.

With Tyron Smith landing a mega extension from the Cowboys, there are questions of whether the Cowboys can afford to re-sign Bryant too. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported it will be "nearly impossible" to add a Bryant extension to the Cowboys salary cap. Jerry Jones thinks otherwise, or at least that is the stance he is taking publicly. Jones said the plan all along was to "figure a way" to work out extensions with both Smith and Bryant. Doing so will be a challenge. Tony Romo is one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league and now Smith is the highest-paid offensive lineman. Those two account for a significant chunk of salary cap moving forward and re-signing Bryant will likely take a mega-deal too. The Cowboys may not have the benefit of devoting a massive portion of their salary cap to three offensive players, no matter what Jones says.

-- John Harbaugh on the injury suffered by Brent Urban, via ESPN.

Ravens rookie defensive end Brent Urban suffered what appears to be a serious knee injury on Wednesday. The fourth-round pick went down early into practice and had to be helped off the field. The team was still awaiting a full diagnoses, but head coach John Harbaugh doesn't sound optimistic. He said the team will "just hope and pray for the best" but wouldn't rule him out for the season. If the injury does prove to be serious, it will likely cost Urban his rookie season and he would be a logical candidate to land on injured reserve.