NFC East Roundup: Wide Receiver Drama

It’s no secret that Dez Bryant is unhappy with his contract situation, but Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones says that both sides are far away from coming to terms for a long-term deal:

“It’s been well-documented that both [Larry] Fitzgerald and Megatron both got their deals based on their rookie contracts because they were high draft picks and the franchise tag dictated that,” Jones continued. “But since then all receivers, the top ones, have pretty much been paid in the $11.5-12.5 million range, and there’s a big disparity there.

“I don’t think anyone quite knows what that market is, and that makes it difficult. I think once we figure out what that is, then there’s a way for us to get something done with Dez. But until that happens, it’s what teams think versus what players and their representatives think. There’s a wide gap right now.”

Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News wonders what will happen if the Cowboys and Bryant are unable to reach an agreement:

If the Cowboys aren’t going to take Dez seriously, I will. What if he’s not there?

What if he‘s not in training camp? What if he’s not there setting an example with his work ethic for all the young receivers on the roster? What if he’s not there giving young cornerbacks Byron Jones and Tyler Patmon daily competition, accelerating their developments as NFL coverage players?

What if he’s not there in the season opener to match routes and receptions with New York’s spectacular Odell Beckham? What if he’s not there in Week 2 for the early NFC East showdown in Philadelphia against DeMarco Murray and his Eagles?

Well, life would go on. And so would the Cowboys.

Speaking of Beckham, apparently he isn’t too pleased with his teammates teasing him about his injuries:

It’s no wonder Beckham’s teammates have made fun of his perpetually brittle hamstrings, something that increasingly irks him, he admitted in an interview on ESPN.

“For me, this is what I love doing, and this is what I feel like my purpose was to do,” Beckham told ESPN earlier this week. “So it takes a lot of strength for me to be able to come here every day and not practice, have to hear the little remarks, the little jokes, this and that.”

Sob story not enough? Good, because Beckham kept going.

“And it’s not just about a hamstring — it’s so many other things that people talk about,” he’d added on ESPN. “So it’s hard to come here and try and focus on ‘what play is up right now?’ instead of thinking about how bad you want to be out there.”

However, Eli Manning tells Nick Powell of NJ.com that Beckham needs to lighten up a bit:

Ultimately, Manning said it’s all part of his initiation into being a star in the NFL. Beckham certainly earned all of the accolades from his terrific rookie season, and before long he’ll learn that it comes with a consequence of increased scrutiny.

“[Beckham’s] still young, he’s a young player, and success is coming to him quickly, he’s got to learn to handle the media and abuse,” Manning said. “Sometimes, hey, when things go wrong and you’re not practicing, you just gotta sit there and take it, and be a man and learn from it.”

Tarik El-Bashir of CSN Washington reports that Jay Gruden is excited to see second-year receiver Ryan Grant make an impact in 2015:

“Ryan Grant? He’s awesome, man. He really is,” Gruden said after Wednesday’s minicamp practice at Redskins Park. “He runs every route exactly like you tell him to run it. He doesn’t make any mental mistakes. He’s got big, strong hands.”

“It’s just [that] right now, with Pierre [Garçon], DeSean [Jackson], Andre [Roberts], we also drafted [Jamison] Crowder, it’s a crowded [meeting] room with a lot of skill,” Gruden added. “But I won’t hesitate one bit whether he’s our starting Z, starting X or starting [slot receiver].”

But Paul Woody of the Richmond Times-Dispatch doesn’t share Gruden’s optimism:

When the discussion turns to Washington Redskins wide receivers Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson, coach Jay Gruden said, “Those guys are two great players on our offensive football team, and we’re going to demand a lot from them.”

Gruden was caught up in coach-speak, which features hyperbole, especially during the offseason when everyone is undefeated, hope reigns supreme and a team’s best players often are described as “great.”

There’s no evidence to support the case that Garcon and Jackson are great.