Cowboys VP Stephen Jones calls out Dez Bryant for sideline eruptions

Alec Brzezinski

Cowboys VP Stephen Jones calls out Dez Bryant for sideline eruptions image

Health issues and a loss of speed have plagued Dez Bryant in recent seasons, causing the former Pro Bowler to lose a bit of his luster.

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones laid out some candid remarks regarding Bryant on Monday, hinting that some things need to change for Bryant to remain with the team.

"Tony (Romo) certainly his game, (he and Dez) kind of tailored it to one another," Jones said, via sportsday.dallasnews.com. "When Dak came in, he certainly is not going to play the game exactly like Tony played the game. I think it hasn't ever just hit on all cylinders yet in term of how Dak-and-Dez the connection works. I think it's a work in progress. I think it could improve if given the opportunity."

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Bryant, set to make $12.5 million next season, has hauled in just 150 receptions during the last three seasons, while failing to reach double-digit touchdowns since 2014. Jones noted that Bryant needs to play up to his salary.

"Of course we pay Dez a lot of money, and he knows that," Jones said. "He's as aware of it as anybody. He knows when you get paid that kind of money there's high expectations in terms of the productivity. ... Those are all things we have to look at as a team, as an organization when we start to put our team together for next year."

At times, Bryant can be a fiery guy, often yelling at someone on the sidelines. While some may see it as a positive, Jones chose a different angle to describe Bryant's antics.

"The other thing that we all see and it is certainly visible to anyone who watches our games, watches our sideline, is Dez is certainly a fiery guy who plays with a lot of emotion both on and off the field," Jones said. "Sometimes that can be a distraction.

"It can be a distraction for Dez, it can be a distraction for other teammates. And we just have to really get our hands around when you put all the full body of work together where that's headed."

Alec Brzezinski