Dez Bryant will get franchise tag, Cowboys confirm
The Dallas Cowboys will place the franchise tag on wide receiver Dez Bryant, executive vice president Stephen Jones confirmed Saturday.
NFL teams have until Monday to decide which players will be franchised.
The franchise-tag price for a wide receiver is expected to be around $13 million next season, though the number won’t be set until the official 2015 salary cap is finalized.
Jones said the Cowboys had talks with Bryant’s agent, Tom Condon, on Tuesday and an agreement on a long-term deal is not imminent. He also said he has informed Bryant’s representatives of the team’s intention to use the franchise tag.
By applying the tag to Bryant, the Cowboys have until July 15 to sign him to a long-term deal. If an agreement is not reached, he would have to play the season with the tag.
Bryant, a first-team All-Pro selection, was named to his second consecutive Pro Bowl after leading the NFL with 16 touchdowns on 88 catches for 1,320 yards.
The move comes as little surprise as the Cowboys have said in the past two weeks that the club was “leaning” toward putting the tag on Bryant.
Bryant has expressed disappointment in the past over the prospect of being franchised. The question now is how he will respond and whether he boycotts the off-season program, minicamp and possibly training camp.
Next up for the Cowboys is free agency. There’s a three-day negotiating window leading up to the official start of free agency March 10.
Running back DeMarco Murray will be the top priority, but the Cowboys have several other key players, particularly on defense, who must be addressed.
This story was originally published February 28, 2015 at 9:29 PM with the headline "Dez Bryant will get franchise tag, Cowboys confirm."