As the NFL deadline approaches for franchise players to sign multiyear contracts, wide receiver Dez Bryant has attempted to increase the pressure on the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys receiver tweeted Monday that he won’t report to the team unless he has a long-term deal.
As much as I love football…on my beautiful babies.. I apologize#cowboynation but I will not be there if no deal #fact
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) July 13, 2015
The tweet comes on the heels of a phone call he recently made to the team to communicate the same message, according to league sources.
The wide receiver personally informed Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones that he will not attend training camp and will sit out regular-season games unless they reach agreement on a long-term deal before Wednesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline, the sources said.
Jones, in a text message Monday, denied that Bryant communicated to him a willingness to miss training camp and regular-season games.
The Cowboys and Bryant’s representatives, both CAA’s Tom Condon and members of Roc Nation, have had one face-to-face negotiating session. They have exchanged proposals once, just before the Fourth of July holiday.
The ultimatum was personally delivered in a phone call last week, reiterating what Bryant’s representatives have been telling the team. Bryant told Jones that he understands the league created the franchise player designation with the approval of the NFLPA and that he wants to spend his career playing for the Cowboys.
But Bryant also made the argument that he has proved himself to be the top receiver in the league over the past five years and should be compensated accordingly.
BCNN1 WP 