National Football League

Grading Dez Bryant's new deal with the Dallas Cowboys

Published Jul. 15, 2015 4:33 p.m. ET

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By Evan Massey

The Dallas Cowboys were looking unlikely to get a new deal done with star wide receiver Dez Bryant, but it appears that the two sides were able to find a middle ground in the discussions. According to a report from Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, the Cowboys have agreed in principle to a five-year, $70 million contract with Bryant.

During the 2014 season with the Cowboys, Bryant ended up catching 88 passes for 1,320 yards and 16 touchdowns. He was an absolute dominant force for the Dallas offense, and was a big reason that they were able to win the NFC East division title and defeat the Detroit Lions in their first playoff game. Unfortunately, their magical season came to an end against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Division game.

Bryant was very adamant throughout the course of the offseason that he would be more than happy to sit out regular season games if he didn’t get a new deal. It is understandable that he wanted a new contract due to the fact that he was outplaying his previous deal in a big way, but the way that he went about getting it wasn’t the most mature.

At 26 years old, Bryant is in the prime of his career and should take another step forward during the 2015 season.

If the Cowboys had called Bryant’s bluff, he likely would have come back and played for them at some point early on in the season. There is no question that his desire to play football would overcome his desire for a new deal. That being said, it is better that Dallas have him to start the season, and they got him at a fair price for both sides.

Needless to say, it is going to be interesting to see how he performs now that he has received his big payday. There is no reason for him not to be the best wide receiver in the NFL from a production standpoint this season, and the Cowboys are going to need him to step up as a leader as well. He will have to take his game to a new level, and that will only come from hard work and determination to be the best.

Expect to see him live up to the new contract that he has received, and to put up even bigger numbers than he did last season. Dallas and their fans should be happy that this new deal is done, and that they will have him around for a long time to come.

Dez Bryant Contract Grade: A-

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