Bell: Cowboys face delicate balance with Dez Bryant, franchise tag

"Right now, as to our basic approach to all of the contracts that we're considering negotiating, off-the-field issues are not a consideration in any situation with any player.''

It's a nice raise for Bryant, who averaged $2.362 million on his original, five-year NFL contract. But there's still the issue of a deal that locks in Bryant for the long haul. Cowboys COO Stephen Jones reiterated to USA TODAY Sports this week that

It's not easy being the NFL. After a year of off-the-field controversy, the negative news cycle hasn't subsided in the offseason. As the sports world awaits the fallout from rumors of a Dez Byrant video, it's hard not to wonder how the NFL will act if

Dez Bryant's mom says she's buried the hatchet with her son over the 2012 domestic violence incident and loves him very much — but says she's convinced someone is trying to use Dez's past to sabotage his NFL future.

Dez Bryant was questioned by Texas police in 2011 regarding an alleged incident in a Wal-Mart parking lot where a woman was allegedly pulled out of a vehicle by a black male but cops determined Dez did not commit a