With a superstar wide receiver of Dez Bryant's caliber, what possible reason could the Dallas Cowboys have to justify not signing him to a long-term deal?
Reports have recently surfaced of the existence of a video of an “unknown disturbance” in a Walmart parking lot near Lancaster, Texas, that may have serious legal implications. While no exact details of what is on the tape have been released, ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to acknowledge the validity of the story and the tape’s existence in a recent appearance on ESPN Radio’s Carmen & Jurko show. Schefter stated that he has “been working on this since September. There’s a lot involved … It’s taken up a lot of my time this season, I’ll say that.” Very rarely does a reporter make a statement about a story like that without having it secured and ready for release.
The term “trust issues” is the easiest way to explain why the two sides have been unable to reach an agreement regarding Bryant’s future as a Cowboy. Dallas’s hesitation emanates from multiple off-the-field incidents like this one, six in total, involving Bryant. While none resulted in convictions, each episode certainly raised red flags.
In November, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported that these instances were “… a genuine concern. The Cowboys … do not trust Dez Bryant off the field.” Rapoport also detailed his findings after a visit to the DeSoto City Police Department in Texas, stating that there had been six separate occasions in which police had been called to Bryant’s home since 2011. Among those, Rapoport listed “a harassment incident, there was a robbery at his house, the fire department had to come and unlock his car that had a sleeping baby inside.”
With the so much uncertainty regarding Bryant’s current contract situation, it is now even more unclear what the Cowboys will do with him. At this point, all signs point to a franchise tag but, as more details of this newest development are released, it is not unimaginable to think that Dallas may just let Bryant walk. One thing that is for certain: none of this bodes well for Dez Bryant.
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