The NFLPA is not expected to pursue collusion claims now that Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas got their deals done, a union source told Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (on Twitter). Both players agreed to lucrative deals earlier today that, interestingly, were roughly equal.
Evidence of possible collusion between the Cowboys and Broncos reportedly stemmed from a conversation that took place between Bryant and Cowboys COO Stephen Jones. Jones explained to Bryant that the Calvin Johnson contract, which is the most lucrative deal for a wide receiver in the NFL, had no relevance to other receivers because of the unique circumstances surrounding those negotiations. Then, according to Bryant’s account (per the source), Jones told the receiver that he talked to Broncos GM John Elway about the situation. Because the Broncos also had franchise-tagged receiver in Thomas, the admission that Jones and Elway communicated about the situation constitutes evidence of collusion.
The NFLPA letter containing the collusion claims against the Broncos and Cowboys went out to clubs on Tuesday, but it sounds like all is forgiven now that the two star receivers have gotten hefty paydays.
I didn’t really believe that the NFLPA had a strong case, or that the Broncos or Cowboys were at all concerned about it, but I also didn’t expect both Bryant and Thomas to get deals done yesterday. I wonder if the NFLPA’s threats helped move either negotiation along at all, or if it was totally unrelated.