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What's next for Cowboys, Dez Bryant?

IRVING, Texas -- Now that the Dallas Cowboys have placed the franchise tag on Dez Bryant, what’s next?

One of Bryant’s agents, Tom Condon, laid out several possibilities without offering up which direction they will go while speaking on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Monday.

Unless Bryant signs the tender, which is worth $12.823 million, then he does not have to show up to anything. While extremely unlikely, Bryant could skip the first 10 games of the season, play the final six and still get an accrued season to his credit.

The offseason workout program is voluntary, as are the organized team activities. If Bryant does not sign the tender, he would not be required to show up for the mandatory June minicamp either, because he would not be under contract.

“There’s a lot of different options,” Condon said. “There’s a substantial number of moving parts.”

Condon was asked what his advice to Bryant will be.

“I probably shouldn’t disclose the plan, don’t you think?” he said.

Condon also wondered whether a team would be willing to give up two first-round draft picks for Bryant should the Cowboys not match an offer sheet.

“He’s a special player, so if you’re picking late in the first round, let’s say you’re in the last four, five picks of the first round and you know that Dez Bryant is a superstar, do you give up a very late pick in the first round this year and a very late pick in the round next year to ensure that you’re competing for the Super Bowl for the next several years?” Condon said. “That part of it is pretty interesting.”

The Cowboys did just that for Joey Galloway in 2000 after the Seattle Seahawks placed the franchise tag on the wide receiver. The Cowboys gave Galloway a seven-year, $42 million deal and the Seahawks turned those draft picks to select running back Shaun Alexander and Koren Robinson.

Galloway suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his first game, Troy Aikman retired after the season and the Cowboys went through three straight 5-11 finishes.

The Cowboys’ hope with Bryant is to sign him to a long-term deal by July 15. They had their first face-to-face meetings with Condon and Kim Miale last week with the promise of more discussions. At the NFL scouting combine, owner and general manager Jerry Jones said he hopes the tag is a “placeholder” until a multiyear agreement is reached.

“The Cowboys have given us every indication that they don’t want to lose the player,” Condon said, “and that they value him very much.”