The Denver Broncos and the Dallas Cowboys sure have got a lot of explaining to do. As this collusion case between both teams and their respective superstar receivers Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant continues to escalate, it’s not only their 2015 seasons being threatened here. The real sting of this situation is both teams could wind up losing their best offensive playmakers.

Thomas and Bryant have their front offices in a real bad spot with this collusion claim. They’ve got the full backing of the NFLPA, that is reportedly ready to move forward with the investigation if both players don’t get long-term deals before the deadline Wednesday. They’ve got all the incentive in the world to name their price and refuse to budge off it. And for them, it doesn’t matter if the collusion claim is true or not. Perception is everything — if it looks like a duck and the NFLPA finds out that it quacks like a duck, it’s game over. Thomas and Bryant may not have any reason to budge yet, but they’d be especially hunkered in if that happens.

But the real danger for Denver and Dallas is that they may be risking burning the bridges with their stud receivers. Both Thomas and Bryant seem ready to take this into the regular season by sitting out of training camp and regular-season games. I have to believe that if they’re angry enough to go that far, they’re angry enough to potentially want out of town. They could easily do it too, as both are young, dynamic, ultra-productive players who put points on the board at a high clip. No doubt they’d be hot commodities on the open market. They could just about pick their teams, except if Bryant wanted to go to the Philadelphia Eagles. So let’s say Thomas has 31 teams he can pick from, and Bryant has 30. Either way, free agency would be extremely good to both of them. A one-way ticket out of town would very easy for them to find.

A boatload of money may make something easier to stomach, but it doesn’t always take away the nasty taste.  If this collusion claim doesn’t go away and they don’t pony up for their guys by tomorrow, that taste might cost them more than just a workable contract number. They might miss out on these receivers altogether. Seeing how Dallas played last year and how Denver is in the fumes of the Peyton Manning era, they need these guys suited up and ready to go right now. They better hope they can smooth this out quickly, and the clock is ticking louder than ever.

Doug Green is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com covering the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL.  Follow him on Twitter @DGreenNFL.