To describe the Dallas Cowboys’ five-year contract with Dez Bryant as one of the “great illusions in sports history” or even “brilliant” – words used in an online story today by Bleacher Report writer Jason Cole – would be an overstatement.
Both sides used leverage throughout negotiations – with the Cowboys often holding the upper hand – and both sides ultimately had to give in some on their demands to get the deal closed by the July 15 franchise tag deadline.
Who won in the end? Well, both sides did. The Cowboys removed what would have been a daily headache for them, answering when Bryant will show up for training camp.