The Dallas Cowboys are prepared to issue their franchise tender to Dez Bryant this offseason if the team can't reach agreement on a long-term extension with its star receiver, owner/general manager Jerry Jones said Tuesday.

Dez Bryant will be on the Cowboys in 2015 even if the team needs to use the franchise tag to ensure that's the case, Jerry Jones says. AP Photo/James D Smith

Jones made his comments on 105.3 The Fan Dallas/Fort Worth, confirming what had been widely expected would be the case if the sides can't agree to a contract.

Asked if the Cowboys could end up losing Bryant to another team in free agency, Jones said that won't happen because the team has the franchise tag available.

"No, we have the franchise -- for sure. Not at all," he replied. "You're talking about Dez? No, we have the franchise alternative -- which I thought everybody was aware of."

Earlier in the interview, Jones had talked about the status of negotiations between the Cowboys and Bryant.

"The key thing is, in agreements -- and these are agreements -- to be trite, two have to agree," Jones said in the interview. "We've just got to come to an agreement there."

Jones added that the Cowboys have "got to really look at how we go forward managing our dollars."

"Every dollar that one player gets is not there for the next player or for another player. And so this thing has to be balanced out," he said.

Bryant said last month that he would prefer to retire as a member of the Cowboys but that feeling respected is a higher priority. He said that he deserves to be one of the three highest-paid receivers in the NFL.

"It's all about respect. It's all about respect," Bryant said. "I am a very loyal person, but just don't test my loyalty."

Bryant cut off negotiations at the beginning of the regular season, saying he wanted to focus solely on football during the season. He changed agents from Eugene Parker to Jay Z's Roc Nation and Creative Artists Agency's Tom Condon this season.

The 26-year-old Bryant leads the NFL with 14 touchdown receptions, which also is his career best in the category. He has 84 receptions for 1,221 yards.

Information from ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon is included in this report.