Cowboys May Face Collusion Charges

The NFLPA plans to file collusion charges against the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos if wide receivers Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas aren’t signed to long-term contracts.

The Wednesday deadline for long-term deals to be reached with players given the franchise tag in free agency is expected to pass without contracts for Bryant with the Cowboys or Thomas with the Broncos. Each player would make $12.8 million under terms of the one-year tender for wide receivers in 2015.

ESPN reported that the NFLPA was planning to advance the collusion claim in hopes of getting both players closer to the annual salary of Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who makes $16.2 million under the terms of his contract and has the highest salary-cap charge in the NFL this season.

The Broncos are not likely to offer a contract to Thomas. He hasn’t attended offseason workouts and skipped mandatory minicamp.

Dallas could come up with an offer for Bryant, who threatened the team in a phone call last week with a holdout and skipping regular-season games, but it’s not likely to bring the hefty $60 million guaranteed Bryant is reportedly seeking.