Boylan: Open Letter To Dez Bryant
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Dear Dez,
Hey, buddy. How's it going? Not great, yeah, I heard. I know times are tough right now and you have a lot on your plate, but I just wanted to write you this quick message to show my support. There's probably been an endless amount of responses pouring in since the tweet you sent out Monday afternoon, some good and some bad.
I wanted to cut through all noise and personally tell you that I stand beside you. You should definitely hold out.
Some fans will understand, some won't. This isn't about them. This is about you. It's always been about you. If you don't look out for Dez, who will? Not the Cowboys, that's for sure. They want to pay you a measly 12 million dollars and keep you locked down under the franchise tag. Since when did players get punished for wanting to invest in their team? All you want is a long-term deal, some security. Doesn't Jerry Jones know this is real life? This isn't an episode of Ballers. It's not like The Rock is out there sweating to keep your finances in line.
Just look at your numbers. Well, not you, I know you can lose track of time staring at them. But allow me to state the facts anyway, three straight seasons of at least 1,200 receiving yards, plus 41 touchdowns over that three-year span. No other player can even sniff 40, not even the $20-million Megatron. You just finished a five-year, $11.8 million rookie deal. That's straight-up robbery.
What about your quarterback? He's taken care of. Even your coach got an extension, and we're still not even sure he knows what he's doing. Maybe Mr. Jones can pawn off some of the luxuries from Jerry World and do right by you. I don't see any reason why this is happening. We both know America's team has the money.
Dez, you have support all around the league. And if we get to 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday without a deal in place, that support will only continue to rise. Trust me. Forget training camp, you need to make sure you directly impact the fate of the 2015 Cowboys.
Football is an individual sport, you and I both know that. To start, you shouldn't even consider playing the first three weeks. The game checks your missing won't matter when you hit the open market and get the largest wide receiver contract in the history of the NFL. How's that sound? It's not like the team can franchise tag you again (crap, they totally can. Note to self: delete that before sending).
I know you love football. You want to be out there. But you have to remember the stand you are taking and its significance. The message won't be fully received if you give in and play. It's going to be hard and you're going to miss it, but you absolutely cannot come back before week 10. I don't have the schedule in front of me, but I'd advise you not to return to the field before week 10. Actually, let's make it week 11, just to be safe.
Revisit Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy with this newly acquired free time. Listen to Alfred, because he's talking to you: Endure. They'll hate you for it, but that's the point of Dez Bryant, he can be the outcast. He can make the choice that no one else can make, the right choice.
Hold out forever.
Sincerely,
Justin (and Eagles fans) (and Giants and Redskins fans) (and fans of every other NFL team outside of Dallas)
Justin Boylan is a producer at 94WIP. Follow him on Twitter @justintboylan.
