Dez Bryant sits atop PFR’s most recent ranking of the top 10 offensive players still available on the free agent market. Still just 29, he is a three-time Pro-Bowler with one first-team All-Pro nod to his credit, and he was targeted 132 times last season. Though he is clearly no longer the player he was earlier in his career, the fact that he has only piqued the interest of just one team — the Ravens — since he was released by the Cowboys is a surprise.
Of course, the timing of his release was a bit unfortunate. He was cut over a month after free agency opened, and at that point, most of the WR1/WR2 vacancies had been filled, and teams did not have as much money to spend. Plus, with the draft right around the corner, clubs were devoting more attention to collegiate prospects than anything else.
Baltimore did offer Bryant a three-year, $21MM pact, but he turned it down, as he prefers a one-year deal that would enable him to boost his value and give himself one more shot at a big-money contract (if he had his way, he would also sign on with an NFC East team). Outside of the Ravens’ offer, however, the only news on Bryant is that teams are not interested in him, even on a league minimum deal. There are a number of clubs that still make sense as a potential landing spot — like the Packers and Bills — but those teams have generally indicated that they do not plan to pursue the former first-round selection.
Bryant was never a gifted route runner, and his earlier success stemmed largely from his athleticism and his ability to make contested catches. As he has gotten older and dealt with injury problems, his physical advantages have evaporated to a large degree, and that reality, combined with his perceived attitude issues, is doubtlessly scaring teams away. But still….no interest at all?
As always, players will sustain injuries, players will underperform, and front office executives will reassess their roster on a daily basis. Bryant will find a job, even if he has to accept a contract not at all to his liking. But we would like to know your thoughts on the matter. Why is no one willing to entertain the notion of signing him right now, where will he ultimately end up, and what does the future hold for the Oklahoma State product who was one of the most exciting players in football not too long ago?
I love the creative title for the poll question without a poll!
Who’s bringing the beer?
I would have done a poll if more than one team had expressed interest in Dez at this point 🙂 Listing teams to choose from would have been an almost complete shot in the dark.
look on the bright side: at least we won’t get yet another broken poll on the app
Where does it say anything about a poll?
Community Tail Gate: where will Dez play in 2018….. still looking for poll
Assuming everything we have heard to this point is accurate, this is honestly very surprising. He’s had some minor issues as a teammate, but nothing to the level of TO or anything like that.
You would think some team somewhere would be interested in his upside. I feel like New England is going to swoop in out of nowhere…
New Orleans. I could seen him resurrecting his career in the big easy.
It seems like owners and GMs are steering clear of guys like this. He may not have been a problem child like TO, but he’s exhibited a Diva attitude at times. Turning down Baltimore shows he’s clearly over estimated his own market value. Combined with diminishing skills, it looks like Dez is in for a reality check.
I agree with your assessment, he should’ve taken the Ravens deal. The Ravens are in dire need of real offensive help and he would have shined a lot more on a team like that.
Why is everyone tiptoeing around the fact that Dez has been a cry baby and many times been a distraction to the Cowboys during crucial moments? There’s no sign he’s grown up either. Teams seem to finally be realizing that character matters in regard to winning, especially at the elite level.
It was an accurate assessment saying that he mostly depended on his physical attributes to succeed early on in his career. Watch the tape of him in the past 2 years and you’ll see a WR that has struggled MIGHTILY since age and injury have set in. And the person I felt most badly for is Dak Prescott b/c Dez’s routes were terribly ran and that makes throwing a footfall in the NFL that much harder to do! Mix that in with the fact that he’s a locker room distraction waiting to happen and what do you have left? An aging WR still on the market in late May who thinks he’s much more appealing to teams than he truly is. Sorry Dez!
There is no coincidence that his numbers have gone down since Romo was injured/retired. Prescott isn’t a good downfield passer by an stretch of the imagination. He will sign a one year deal with a team with an elite QB and put up numbers. He’s never been a speed demon, but a physical WR that is best in one on one/jump ball situations. He’s not done unless he gets blackballed.
He could always join Manzel up north…
One year deal in New England, short money gets cut by season open.
He will resign with Dallas
No way he goes back to Dallas after what he said about them. Plus they already have a cap hit on him for being released why would they add to that with a new contract? Also, their comments on why they released him would be hypocritical to resign him. So in short, no way he goes back to Dallas.
Poll:
A)
B)
C) Ravens
D) First team with a major WR season -ending injury
I feel like he could work on this new 49ers team.
Only if he accepts a two year contract and with incentives , I was thinking about the same with the 49ers , maybe the Wr’s squad is too crowded with Garzón back. They don’t want to spend unnecessarily.
I agree with other comments, the longer he remains unsigned the more likely it is that the Patriots will ultimately sign him
Patriots might do that and get a major discount for it
Colts on a 1 year if luck is healthy… makes a lot of since and cap is there…