The Cowboys are saying they’re not worried about an NFL Players Association investigation into possible collusion designed to drive down the price of free agent receiver Dez Bryant.
Asked by the Star-Telegram about the NFLPA’s belief that the Cowboys and Broncos have colluded to avoid overpaying for Bryant and Broncos franchise receiver Demaryius Thomas, a Cowboys source said there is “nothing to it.”
That’s exactly what we’d expect both the Cowboys and the Broncos to say. Teams aren’t exactly going to admit it if they violated the rules of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
But there’s really no reason for the Broncos and Cowboys to collude to limit Thomas’s and Bryant’s contracts, because the CBA already gives the teams plenty of leverage. Thanks to the franchise tag, the teams can make their receivers play out this season on a one-year, $12.8 million deal, if they’re going to play at all.
If Thomas and Bryant don’t sign long-term deals by Wednesday, that one-year franchise tag will be the only contract they can play for in 2015.