The Dallas Cowboys have signed free agent wide receivers Allen Hurns and Deonte Thompson this offseason, and there were also reports that they pursued Sammy Watkins. That has led to speculation that they are looking to move on from Dez Bryant, but Jason Garrett insists one thing has nothing to do with the other.
On Tuesday, Garrett had high praise for Bryant and insisted the Cowboys are not making moves to replace the star wideout.
“We love Dez Bryant. Dez has been a great player for us for a long time,” Garrett said, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com. “Any speculation about his contract or anything like that to me is irrelevant relative to the recent signings that we’ve made.”
Bryant is set to count $16.5 million against the salary cap in 2018, so it’s no secret the Cowboys would love to restructure his deal or get him to agree to a pay cut. That does not mean the team is planning to release him.
“The offseason program will start in the middle of April. We anticipate Dez and everybody else being there and getting going,” Garrett added. “Any speculation about his contract or anything like that really doesn’t apply to the football part of Dez Bryant. He’s been a great player, and we anticipate having great competition at the receiver position and Dez being a part of it.”
When asked about Bryant’s contract earlier in the week, Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones had very little to say.
Bryant has not had as big of a role in Dallas’ offense since Tony Romo left, and he has faced some criticism from his bosses. Still, he’s one of the best playmakers in football when healthy. If he’s not willing to restructure his deal, the Cowboys might be wise to find ways to get Dez the ball more often in 2018. That would open up even more opportunities for Ezekiel Elliott to be the focal point of the offense.
