The Cowboys have balked at handing Dez Bryant a long-term contract extension with significant financial guarantees, in part because of their lack of off-the-field trust in the Pro Bowl receiver. With no new negotiations scheduled between Dallas and Bryant's agents, Tom Condon and Kim Miale of Roc Nation, the franchise tag is almost a certainty.
In November during an appearance on NFL GameDay Morning, I reported on six separate incidents since 2011 of police being called to Bryant's home in DeSoto, Texas. None of the incidents I described, based on reporting using police records, resulted in any arrests, but they are emblematic of why the Cowboys are concerned about Bryant's behavior and some of the people he has associated with.
I have learned via another open-records request that in mid-2011 there was an additional incident involving Bryant. A report filed by the Lancaster (Texas) Police Department described the response by an officer to "an unknown disturbance" in a Walmart parking lot during the early morning of July 11. Vehicles registered to Bryant were at the scene in the parking lot, and Bryant later arrived in another car, when he was spoken to by a Lancaster PD officer. Upon further investigation, "it was determined that there was no offense" and "all parties were advised they were free to go."
Cowboys officials have been aware of this incident for some time.
Although Bryant is clearly a large part of Dallas' offense and a key to the team's continued progress, the pattern of off-the-field issues is one reason the Cowboys haven't improved their long-term extension offer of $114 million over 10 years with a $20 million guarantee, an average of $10 million a year during the initial six years and a signing bonus of just $5 million.
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