If you thought negotiations with Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant would go smoothly, Tuesday was a major wake-up call. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones waltzed into the NFL combine in Indianapolis and threw cold water on the idea of Bryant being signed to a long-term contract.
"Right now all things being equal, it's leaning more Dez with the franchise (tag) than it is not," Jones told a couple Dallas-area reporters. "But that doesn't mean it will stay that way.
"We don't ever want to give up on a long-term deal. It's something we worked on all of last year and it kind of cooled off once we got into the season. We'll continue to see what our options are and things happen quickly as you go along. Things can go along with a lot not going on, but all of a sudden it happens."
I interpret that to mean the Cowboys and Bryant are miles apart and there's no middle ground in sight. Of course, there's a chance Jones will play bad cop to his father Jerry's good cop. The elder Jones might try to save the day at the last minute, but right now he's using the franchise tag as leverage.
It's interesting to me that Stephen was so open with his thoughts on Bryant. His father will comment about anything except for contract negotiations. I think Stephen was very calculated in sending a message to Bryant's agent Tom Condon.
Bryant delivered his own message via Twitter when he responded to a Cowboys fan who was thanking him for his dedication to the Cowboys.
"I wish They felt the same way but it's cool.. It's #business," Bryant tweeted.
Bryant stands to make close to $12 million in 2015 if he receives the franchise tag, but he's seeking a long-term deal similar to what Detroit's Calvin Johnson received in 2012. Johnson secured roughly $60 million in guaranteed money.
I think what's infuriating Bryant right now are reports that his off-field issues have caused the Cowboys to worry about a lucrative long-term contract. No one from the organization has mentioned that publicly, but you can bet Bryant believes that's where it's coming from. But perhaps Bryant shouldn't rule out the agent he fired in favor of Roc Nation.
He's right about this being a business. And sometimes it can be a nasty business. Bryant may have naively thought his production would trump any past transgressions.
It's also notable that the Cowboys' other high-profile potential free agent, DeMarco Murray, isn't tweeting a thing. He was photographed with Jason Garrett and Tony Romo at a recent SMU game. Murray's behaving as if he has no interest in testing the free-agent market.
Compared to Bryant, his negotiation with the Cowboys could go smoothly. And maybe he's more relaxed because no one's holding the franchise tag over his head.
Now we wait to see what Jerry will say in Indianapolis. Surely his luxury bus has made it to town by now.
MORE FROM FOX SPORTS SOUTHWEST:
- Ranking NFL quarterback salaries
- College football's highest paid coaches in 2014
- Oldest player on every NBA team
- Highest paid player of each NBA team
