Cowboys’ Dez Bryant: I deserve to be paid like top WR

Dec 9, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant (88) celebrate after catching a pass for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 9, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant (88) celebrate after catching a pass for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Dallas Cowboys are in a seemingly never-ending struggle with the salary cap. Fortunately they’ve drafted well recently, but that means they have a bunch of rookie contracts coming up that need extending, like that of left tackle Tyron Smith and wide receiver Dez Bryant.

Bryant has established himself as the one of the league’s best wide receivers, with back to back 1,000 yard receiving seasons and 25 touchdowns over the last two seasons. Bryant, who is set to make $1.78 million this season, thinks he deserves to be paid like the elite player that he is.

“Yeah, I deserve it,” Bryant told ESPNDallas.com’s Tim MacMahon. “I deserve it. I feel like I do. I put the work in, but I let that kind of stuff take care of itself. It is what it is. I let my agent talk about it and give me some feedback.”

If there is anything Cowboys fans can hold onto to put aside their fears that the Cowboys might simply not be able to afford Bryant, is that he is loyal to the team. Bryant is a north Texas kid, so there is a different meaning to “hometown discount” with him.

“I’m loyal to the squad,” Bryant said. “I’ve always been. Me and my agent are going to talk about (a hometown discount). We’ll talk about it. You know, this is big. This is life changing. Like I said, I’ve done everything asked of me, and we’ll see what happens.”

The Chicago Bears signed Brandon Marshall to a three-year, $30 million extension this offseason and that might be a starting point for talks. If Bryant really wants top wide receiver money it is going to cost a lot more than that. Larry Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson both are getting over $16 million a season.