It’s funny how these things works. The Dallas Cowboys don’t know whether to make Dez Bryant one of the highest paid wide receivers in the NFL, so they’re going to wait and see how the situation between the New York Giants and Victor Cruz ends up.

Cruz, after one excellent season and a following good one, wants to be paid like a number one wideout, among the best in the NFL. While the Giants do not underestimate his talents, they see him as a very talented slot receiver, maybe the best in the NFL. But to give him a salary worth over $10 million a season? That’s a bit much.

The highest paid wide receivers in the league are as follows: Larry Fitzgerald ($16.1 million), Calvin Johnson ($15.6 million),Andre Johnson ($14.4 million), Mike Wallace ($12 million) and Dwayne Bowe ($11.2 million), with the figures showing their average salaries on their current contracts. The Giants are offering Cruz just over $7 million a season while tendering him for $2.8 million this year. If he refuses to sign an extension, they can still franchise him for around $11-12 million next season, which will come down to just over $7 million a season.

But what about Dez Bryant? On one hand, there are his off field issues which the Cowboys are hoping he’s solved. On the other hand, there is his talent and development. He had a fantastic 2012, catching 92 passes for 1382 yards and 12 touchdowns, leading the team in both reception yards and touchdowns. If it wasn’t for a couple of awkward drops, we might have seen the team in the playoffs.

And yet, it’s soon to say if that was the Bryant the Cowboys should expected for the next few seasons, or just a one-time thing, before his problematic self takes over and leads to more trouble? The 2013 season will be the test for him and the team, and keeping the same level of performances while staying away from unnecessary headlines will mark that Bryant has indeed grown up, ready to be paid like one of the best players at his position around the league.

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