Cowboys end sour relationship
Free-agent signings, prospects for future soften blow of losing star receiver Bryant
DALLAS — What began as a conversation about the need for a pay cut led to a much harsher conclusion.
Internal discussions about how this could work going forward all came to the same realization:
The Dallas Cowboys are better off without Dez Bryant.
You may disagree. Many of you do, based on the vitriol being spewed on social media.
Bryant wants to thank the fans for having his back and promises to do all he can to give you, and him, the final word. The No. 88 retribution tour is coming to an opposing team near you soon.
We'll discover over the next nine months if the Cowboys are right in their assessment. The production of the team's receivers during the 2018 season will serve as a referendum on the decision.
Once Bryant and Jerry Jones finally got in the same room, it was painfully clear this was no longer about the money. A source said a pay cut was never broached. Friday's conversation was too quick for the owner to address any sort of salary adjustment.
Beyond repair
Money was the spark, but the decision on Bryant quickly evolved into where he stands as a player, how he approaches his job and what's important to him. Could the receiver's temperament allow him to handle a pay cut, or would his hurt and resentment seep into the locker room and impact his interactions with coaches and teammates?
In asking and answering these questions, club officials were forced to acknowledge the support system that helped Bryant flourish early in his career had now become a crutch that too often enabled immature behavior or inhibited his professional growth. They were culpable.
The Cowboys and Bryant were trapped in a dysfunctional relationship that had gone on too long to repair. Rather than allow the association to deteriorate further, rather than desperately searching for a way to stay together for one more season, the club determined it was best to end the relationship and explore more cost-effective options.
Will the passing game have the same potential explosion without Bryant? No. Will it be more efficient, and can that compensate for his loss?
The Cowboys have chosen to go with what's behind door No. 2.
Jason Garrett has said the additions of Allen Hurns and Deonte Thompson in free agency did nothing to impact Bryant's status on the roster. The Cowboys coach can state that publicly, but the truth is the statistics posted by Bryant and Hurns over the last three seasons are virtually identical.
No one receiver has to replace Bryant's production this upcoming season. It's reasonable to expect Hurns and the team's first- or second-round pick to surpass what Bryant did in the '17 season.
Quick aside: Bryant's release increases the odds the team will take a receiver in the first round.
If this was the Cowboys' plan all along, why did the club wait until mid-April to make the move? Supporters of Bryant consider this grossly unfair.
On to Plan B
But Dallas was never going to sever ties with Bryant until its options were in place. The Cowboys swung and missed on Sammy Watkins to open free agency. That was Plan A.
Plan B fell into their laps when Hurns was released by Jacksonville. This roughly coincides with the stage of draft preparation where the Cowboys are working out receivers individually and inviting them to The Star for visits.
Some point to Monday's start of the offseason program as the reason the decision came down now. That was a factor. But it made no sense for the club to release Bryant before it was far enough along in its assessment of the draft to be comfortable with its options at receiver.
The Cowboys have a receiver or two in mind and are confident they will be able to land one in the draft later this month. That's the primary reason the decision came down Friday morning.
Are the Cowboys better off without Dez Bryant? Club officials believe that's the case. Critics are vociferous in their dissent.
We won't have to wait long for the answer.