NFC Notes: Dez Bryant, Eagles, Falcons, & Giants

Dez Bryant

Jason Cole of the B/R reports Cowboys WR Dez Bryant lost between $400,000 and $1 million in off-field endorsement money last year.

Four sources told Cole that prior to signing his new $70 million contract, Bryant was in financial distress.

The Cowboys reportedly protected themselves with this new agreement.

“What the Cowboys did is brilliant,” said a source familiar with the contract told Cole. “They gave Dez an extra [$3.2 million] to get the long-term deal now and make him show up. But if something goes wrong and he defaults on the contract, they still have it. They don’t have to go after him. He has to go after them, and that’s a lot harder to do if you have other legal problems.”

“When you really think about it, what the Cowboys did in this deal tells you a lot about Dez,” a general manager from another team said.

Eagles

Eagles HC Chip Kelly told reporters that they’ve conducted an independent study to determine the likelihood of QB Sam Bradford suffering another ACL.

“We looked at everything, and we knew we weren’t going to pick No. 1 or No. 2. So, and I’ve said it before, if you’re not going to pick one or two, how do you go get a quarterback?” said Kelly, via Philly Mag.com. “Peyton Manning switched teams because of an injury. Drew Brees switched teams because of an injury. So we went down that path.”

According to Kelly, the study showed that Bradford has a 10-12 chance of sustaining another ACL injury.

“So that’s an 88-to-90 percent chance that they’re going to be successful,” said Kelly.

Falcons

• According to Jason La Canfora, “it’s hard to imagine a scenario now where Julio Jones isn’t signed before the season begins.“
• La Canfora is hearing that Jones would be willing to get a similar contract to the ones recently signed by Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas in place sooner than later.

Giants

• Jason La Canfora writes that the Giants aren’t banking on getting much out of DE Jason Pierre-Paul in the first half of the season.
• La Canfora wouldn’t be surprised if the Giants signed Pierre-Paul to a one-year deal that with incentives for games played.
• One other note regarding the Giants, La Canfora mentions that they’re “quietly hopeful” injured LT Will Beatty could be a factor in the second half of the season as well.