When a top-flight NFL player hits pay dirt in his mid-20s with his second contract, he's in a wonderful financial place. Such was Dez Bryant's world when he signed his five-year, $70 million extension in 2015 after three straight seasons of 1,200-plus receiving yards and double-digit touchdowns.
The wide receiver’s next three seasons? Not so great. Bryant hasn't hit the 1,000-yard plateau since 2014, and his limited production led to his mid-April release from the Cowboys. Dallas would have helped him with a release at the start of free agency in March, but now cap money around the league is limited, and the 2018 season is fast approaching.
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This career phase is inevitable for all great athletes; it just came sooner than expected for the 29-year-old Bryant. It has to be a humbling time for him.
I can empathize with NFL general managers who are pondering whether to sign Bryant. Dealing with veteran players who were descending in talent was one of the toughest things for me as an NFL GM. Whether it was a player on our team who was coming off a big contract or a previously productive player who had been released yet carried big salary expectations, the situation required straight-forward talk. The player and his agent needed to be convinced that a pay cut, with our team or elsewhere, was inevitable.
Such was the case for Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon, a player with whom I negotiated a new contract in the early 1990s as he came to the Vikings via trade at age 37. To make up for a salary reduction we needed him to take due to our tight salary cap, I put incentives in his contract so he could recoup the lost money if he played at a Pro Bowl level and led us to the playoffs. (Which he did, in 1994.)
A team usually is willing to take a chance on a player who is no longer playing at his peak but still could contribute. That sometimes worked out for players on our teams, but usually, it was a short-term gain at best.
In Tennessee, we signed two former Pro Bowl receivers in ex-Steeler Yancey Thigpen (1998) and ex-Bengal Carl Pickens (2000). Both were close to age 30 at the time. Thigpen was a two-year starter for us, including on our 1999 Super Bowl team, but had just 89 catches over three seasons as he battled injuries. In all, he didn't play up to the contract. Pickens played in only nine games for us and had 10 catches.
It's extra difficult for a former star player to get signed when his reputation is not sterling. Bryant has several off-field incidents and diva-like behavior in his past, both from his Oklahoma State days and from his Cowboys career. GMs remember Dallas in 2012 ordered Bryant to adhere to strict behavior guidelines and around-the-clock security.
Many teams — and this includes execs, coaches and starting quarterbacks — don't want to be concerned about whether Bryant will put in the work to master an offense and run his routes correctly. They wonder if he'll complain about his role and how many times he's targeted each game.
This is why I, now in the agent business, always counsel our players to be squeaky clean off the field; low-maintenance, highly coachable and team-oriented starting on Day 1 of their NFL careers. An excellent reputation will help in the players’ efforts to extend their careers, and it will set them up for post-career success, too.
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NFL GMs and coaches know it's essential not to get enticed by a player's name and what he has done in the past. Bryant’s next contract has to be based on talent evaluation by the GM and the role the coaches project. It's a risky proposition with a player like Bryant, who in addition to the attitude question has battled injuries in recent years.
Upon his release, Bryant said his preference was to sign with an NFC East team in order to play against Dallas twice each year, but no offers have been forthcoming within the division. Bryant reportedly turned down a three-year deal from Baltimore because he prefers to stay in the NFC. That might have been a mistake, especially if the offer truly was in the $7 million-per-year range as reported.
The latest news flash came last weekend with an Instagram post that suggested Bryant wants to play for the 49ers. But there's no indication so far that San Francisco GM John Lynch is interested.
As a viable red-zone target and a potentially valuable possession receiver who still can play when healthy, Bryant should get signed in the coming weeks. He can command more than what Brandon Marshall is getting from his $2 million contract (with incentives) for one year in Seattle.
Bryant’s value should be more in the range of the two-year, $11 million deal Marshall received from the Giants last year. Bryant is four years younger than Marshall and played in all 16 games last season. Marshall only played five games in New York.
This is a huge challenge in the career and life of Bryant. It’s also a tough situation for his agent, who needs to identify the best opportunity and then sell Bryant on the deal, which likely will be for one year with big incentives. A one-year deal is Bryant's plan; he hopes to have a great year and set himself up for a longer-term and more lucrative deal.
Bryant’s Pro Bowl days probably are over, but that doesn't mean he can't contribute to a team if he arrives in the right frame of mind, works hard and proves to be a team player.
One thing is certain, though, and it will benefit his new team: Bryant will carry a huge chip on his shoulder.
Jeff Diamond is a former president of the Titans and former vice president/general manager of the Vikings. He was selected NFL Executive of the Year in 1998. Diamond is currently a business and sports consultant who also does broadcast and online media work. He makes speaking appearances to corporate/civic groups and college classes on Negotiation and Sports Business/Sports Management. He is the former chairman and CEO of The Ingram Group. Follow Jeff on Twitter: @jeffdiamondNFL.
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