Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com reports that during an appearance on the Ben & Skin Show on Dallas' ESPN Radio affiliate, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Patrick Crayton demanded that the team release him from the final two years of his contract.

The Cowboys have made a substantial investment in wide receiver Roy Williams, are on the precipice of doing the same with restricted free agent Mile Austin, and used their first-round pick on Oklahoma State wideout Dez Bryant, who'll command between $9 and $10 million dollars in guarantees.

A seventh-round pick (216th overall) in 2004 out of Northwest Oklahoma State, Crayton has been a part-time starter in recent seasons, catching 196 passes for 2,888 yards and 23 touchdowns over the last six seasons. Dallas reportedly dangled the 31-year old Crayton in a trade, but were unable to find a trade partner.

Crayton recognizes he has a limited opportunity in Dallas, and would like to be let go. Thus far, he has not been a participant in the team's "Organized Team Activity" sessions.

"For those guys to develop, they have to be on the field," Crayton said, according to MacMahon. "For them to be on the field, I'm not going to be on it, so I would love them to not dangle me around and everything because I have a family to think about.

"If I'm going to be with another team, I need to get used to another city, another franchise, a new coach, a new quarterback, a new coordinator, everything. Just a whole new environment. My wife and kids got to get settled in, got to get in schools and everything. I would love to have the opportunity to compete with another team versus come here and come here for a numbers thing where they're like, 'Oh, we're not going to pay you that to be our fourth or fifth guy,' or whatever the situation is and you kept me the whole training camp because you need camp bodies.

"To me, you're messing with people's careers and people's lives."

Crayton told the show hosts that his agent, Fred Lyles, has communicated his wishes to the club.

"He has definitely expressed that, but they're not going to do that," Crayton said. "I'm the insurance guy."

Crayton is signed through the 2011 season with base salaries of $2M in 2010, and $2.5 million dollars in 2011.