Dez Bryant First of 2010 First-Rounders to Sign
Well so much for Dez Bryant being a character risk. The Dallas Cowboys became the first team to sign their first-round draft pick. The contract is for $11.8 million over five years and at least $8.3 million is guaranteed.
Many were skeptical that Bryant would make it to training camp on time. After all, he has the same agent that Michael Crabtree has, who held out last season all the way until the end of October.
Now Bryant will report to training camp on time and will have a chance to build chemistry with Tony Romo early on. Some experts even believe that Bryant can earn a starting job in training camp. However, he would have to most likely beat out Roy Williams to play alongside Miles Austin at wide-out.
"This was very important to me to be able to get this done in time for the first practice," Bryant said in a statement released by the team. "I want to help this team. I want to compete. I can't wait to start playing football again."
Bryant’s integrity was in question when he was suspended by the NCAA for lying to investigators about a meeting with former Cowboys star Deion Sanders. As a result, he played only three games for Oklahoma State last season.
There was also speculation of Bryant skipping meetings and being late for classes. He even skipped the NFL Scouting Combine and held his own pro-day.
That didn’t stop the Cowboys from recognizing his talent and athleticism. When they saw Bryant slipping in the draft, the Cowboys traded up to pick No. 24 to get him.
Owner Jerry Jones set the record straight before picking Bryant, as he spoke with agent Eugene Parker on the phone while Dallas was on the clock in the draft: "We want a commitment here that we're going to work to get this done. We don't want a repeat of what happened last year."
The message was relayed through the team’s vice president Stephen Jones, who also praised Bryant and James for getting the deal done before training camp.
"It's always been a good relationship with (Parker)," Jones said. Parker has represented two recent first-round picks by the Cowboys. Both of those players were late to training camp. "It's a two-way street. He's benefited, we've benefited. Nobody is trying to get the upper hand. You just want things to be good. He wants things to be good for Dez, and so do we."
Parker agreed that the established relationship with the Cowboys helped speed up the process.
"The trust factor," he said. "That enabled us to cut through some of the typical posturing and positioning and get right to the issues."
One of the key issues was the collective bargaining agreement, which expires in 2011. That is a major reason why other first-round picks haven’t signed yet.
"That's a big issue," Parker said. "Both sides had to be committed to compromise and be willing to see the other person's challenges and concerns and work through them."
Jerry Jones has had flashbacks of other Cowboys greats when he looks at Bryant because he’s given him the No. 88, which was worn by Michael Irvin and Drew Pearson, two legends in Dallas.
From Aikman to Irvin, from Staubach to Pearson, and now probably Romo to Bryant, the duo will have a chance to cement their place in the team’s storied history.
"It was really important that we get him working and in the groove with Tony and our offense, and I think he understood that," Jones said.
So far, Romo has liked what he has seen from Bryant this summer and what he did in college.
In 27 games at Oklahoma State, Bryant had 147 catches for 2,425 yards (16.5 yards per catch) and 29 touchdowns. He also returned 22 punts for a 19.6-yard average and three touchdowns (TDs).
Bryant will take on the responsibility of punt-returning and may very well take the starting job if Roy Williams continues to struggle with the ‘Boys.'
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