Dez hits pay dirt at last
DEZ Bryant is staying in Dallas. Demaryius Thomas is staying in Denver. That much was guaranteed when two of the NFL’s top receivers inked longterm deals Wednesday afternoon to beat a deadline for franchise players to sign with teams.
Bryant, the NFL’s leader with 16 touchdown receptions last season, and Thomas, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, both signed five-year contracts worth $70 million. Bryant’s deal came with $45 million in guaranteed money, including a $20 million signing bonus and guaranteed salaries of $3 million in 2015, $9 million in 2016 and $13 million in 2017, according to ESPN. Thomas’ contract was good for $43.5 million guaranteed.
“There was never a doubt in my mind that we wanted a long-term deal with Dez,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a conference call. “We just had to get the pot right.’’
John Elway, the executive vice president of football operations/general manager for Denver, said, “Demaryius is a special talent and an elite player who has also become a team leader during his five NFL seasons. We are very much looking forward to him playing a major role in the success of the Broncos well into the future.”
One of Denver’s divisional rivals made a move to prepare for Thomas. Kansas City signed linebacker Justin Houston to a six-year contract worth $101 million. The deal is the richest in Chiefs history and the richest for a linebacker in NFL history.
Both Denver and Dallas designated the wideouts as their franchise players earlier in the offseason. Thomas declined to sign a one-year tender for $12.823 million, and skipped the Broncos’ offseason training program. Bryant refused to sign his tender for the same amount, asserting Monday that he was willing to skip training camp and regular-season games if the team did not work out a deal with him by the deadline. If the receivers and the teams did not come to terms, they were not going to be able to negotiate a long-term deal until after the 2015 season.
There was intrigue surrounding the pair of receivers and how much they would get paid. The NFL Players Association promised to look into possible collusion between the Cowboys and Broncos, according to ESPN. The report stated that the union said it has credible information that the Cowboys and Broncos shared details of their negotiations with their respective receivers.
Bryant’s on-field performances earned him the payday. In five seasons with Dallas, Bryant has caught 381 passes for 5,424 yards and 56 touchdowns. No player in team history has more catches, yards or touchdowns than Bryant in the first five years of his career.
Bryant was represented by Eugene Parker previously but switched to Roc Nation and CAA’s Tom Condon for these negotiations. He did not allow contract issues to distract him, as he was named to the Pro Bowl for the second straight season. He caught 88 balls for 1,320 yards, and brought Dallas to the verge of its first NFC Championship Game since 1995. His catch on fourth-and-two late in the fourth quarter was overturned by replay.