Bryant headed for a holdout?

[TL24x7]

It will be interesting to see if Dez Bryant reports to training camp on time…

Let’s put the reported behavioral issues aside and consider the facts.

To start, let’s turn the clock back one year to the 2009 NFL Draft. Then a raw burner named Darius Heyward-Bey was the first wide receiver to come off the board, selected by the Oakland Raiders with the 7th pick. Three slots later the 49ers chose Michael Crabtree.

Other than Al Davis, no one in this galaxy thought DHB was a better player than Crabtree, particularly Crabtree and his agent Eugene Parker. Crabtree threatened to sit out the entire season and re-enter the draft in 2010.

After a hideous holdout (ending in early October) during which Parker argued that his client should be paid more than DHB’s $23.5 million in guarantees, Crabtree caved and accepted the paltry sum of $17 million in guaranteed money.

Yesterday with the 22nd pick the Broncos made Demaryius Thomas the first wide receiver selected in the 2010 NFL Draft. Thomas has off the chart athleticism but like DHB, he is a bit unrefined. Also like DHB, a receiver most consider superior was chosen after him.

Enter Dez Bryant. (http://ravens24x7.blogspot.com/2010/04/wonder-if-jerry-jones-will-be-as-smiley.html)

[RavenScallywag]

While I think we'd all love it and be breathing a sigh of relief for not taking him, I think last year's situation was magnified because it was at the top of the draft.

Picks in the 5-10 range, you are talking a difference of 2-3 mil per pick.
Picks in the 20-25 range, you're probably looking at 1mil or less. If bryant really has straightened things out, I think they get a contract done after a short holdout. Also because of what happened with Crabtree.

See http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2009/08/24/nfl-slotting/

[jonboy79]

But he wants top 10 money, I can hear it already. Worsee still, Jerry will give it to him.

[RavenScallywag]

Would be interesting to see if Jerry does something funny with frontloading all Dez's money into his first year, which is the uncapped year. But generally, I think the NFL will stick by slotting, and Dez will get money around the #24 range traditionally gets.

[Raveninwoodlawn]

While Parker isn't immune to the criticism, I think a lot of Crabtree's demands were from Crabtree and his "advisers/family" demands than Parker.

During that whole process...the main voice we kept hearing about how Crabtree should have been paid more than DHB was his "uncle"...which leads me to beleive that they were the driving force here.

Parker drove a hard bargain, but I have little doubt that even he knows when to fold...his client didn't want to though.