Cowboys WR Dez Bryant yesterday "signed a five-year deal" worth $70M after Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones and COO & Exec VP Stephen Jones "flew to New York and spent five hours Tuesday night meeting with Bryant's Roc Nation representatives, including Jay Z," according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Jerry Jones said that the deal was completed "after more talks between Stephen Jones and Tom Condon, Bryant's CAA representative." He said he and Stephen met with Jay Z and Roc Nation "just to talk about the advice they provide for him off the field, the supervision, and wanted everyone on the same page." Jerry Jones: "Jay Z hired Tom Condon to do the deal, and that's exactly what happened. The terms, the details of the contract, that was Condon and Stephen. In fact, Roc Nation is not even certified to do a contract, but they provide Dez with great advice and support. There was no money discussed with Roc Nation." He added, "If we were not comfortable with how Dez has grown over the past five years off the field and the support that includes Roc Nation, this deal probably doesn't get done" (ESPN.com, 7/15). In Dallas, Barry Horn notes Bryant signed the deal at Cowboys HQ while "sitting under a Roc Nation ball cap" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 7/16).
COLLUSION CLAIM DROPPED: The Broncos yesterday signed WR Demaryius Thomas to a contract very similar to Bryant's, and in Ft. Worth, Charean Williams cited an NFLPA source as saying that with yesterday's signings, "so ends" the NFLPA’s "investigation into collusion charges." Jerry Jones "strongly denied" the Cowboys colluded with the Broncos "over the contract situations of the teams’ franchise receivers." He said, "We did not in any way have collusion. I didn’t know until just a second ago watching it on television that the player at Denver had signed" (STAR-TELEGRAM.com, 7/15). ESPN's Mike Golic said, “They signed about 27 minutes apart for the same amount. But since it was such a huge amount, they can collude as long as the money comes out like that. Go ahead and talk all you want. So all of a sudden there wasn’t collusion now because they signed these deals when you were just getting ready to charge them with collusion if they didn't sign?” (“Mike & Mike,” ESPN Radio, 7/16). FS1's Peter Schrager said, “It is very eerie that they both signed five-year, $70 million deals minutes apart." He noted Condon was the "point person" for Bryant on his contract, while Thomas is repped by Todd France, whose agency is in the process of being acquired by CAA. Schrager: "They’re all in one big happy family" ("America's Pregame, FS1, 7/15).
HAIL TO THE CHIEFS: In K.C., Vahe Gregorian notes the six-year, $101M contract signed yesterday by Chiefs LB Justin Houston "makes him the highest-paid player in team history." Houston is represented by Lagardere Unlimited Football President Joel Segal. In the process of "enhancing their prospects for the immediate future and further bolstering the goodwill and credibility of a newish regime suddenly preparing for its third season, the Chiefs made good on making Houston whole after the four-year bargain they enjoyed." Chiefs fans "can believe all the more" in how GM John Dorsey and coach Andy Reid, not to mention Chiefs Chair & CEO Clark Hunt, are "handling their jobs -- how they are cultivating the present and the future of a franchise that was in shambles and engulfed in chaos less than three years ago" (K.C. STAR, 7/16).
