The Dez Bryant-to-Cleveland train keeps getting stalled. Per Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link), the Browns are under the impression that Bryant is “not seriously interested” in joining Cleveland.
Browns general manager John Dorsey first admitted his club’s Bryant intrigue at the end of July, and subsequent reports indicated the two parties had “mutual interest.” However, as of last week, no official date for Bryant to meet with Cleveland had been scheduled, and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com added the Browns only have a “modicum of interest” in adding the 29-year-old pass-catcher.
On Sunday, Cleveland traded wide receiver Corey Coleman to the Bills in exchange for a 2020 seventh-round pick, but that swap wasn’t intended to create space for Bryant, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Additionally, the deal wasn’t indicative of Josh Gordon‘s current status, as the Browns believe he’ll eventually rejoin the team.
Even before Coleman was traded, the Browns had expressed a desire to use Jarvis Landry — who ran 72.7% of his routes from the slot with Miami in 2017, as a part-time outside receiver. With Coleman gone, and Gordon’s status up in the air, Cleveland may have to rely on other options such as rookie Antonio Callaway, Rashard Higgins, and Jeff Janis to fill in the blanks.
While a number of teams have been tangentially linked to Bryant since he was released by the Cowboys, no clubs aside from the Ravens and Browns have been directly interested in the former first-round pick. In fact, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com has reported many teams are unwilling to consider Bryant even at the minimum salary. Bryant had been expected to land a new deal inJuly, so the clock is now ticking on the veteran wideout.
Callaway could be facing his own issues now
Could be? No, it’s a given.
Higgins isn’t a bad receiver! He caught on at the end of last year
Try Canada, you and TO can share the balls.
The Canadian game is faster with much shorter rest times on the sidelines. Not an easy adjustment for older players.
If they end up signing anyone, I would bet they will bring in Brandon LaFell. But I think it’s more likely they make a trade for someone near end of camp plus there wlll be a lot of guys available after first cuts that could be brought in. Bryant was using the Browns a leverage to try and get a team to move quicker, I honestly think he wants to go to a team that plays Dallas this year so he can try and stick it to them…but doubt he will find anyone to bite.
He should’ve taken the Ravens deal instead of being a spoiled kid trying to spite the Cowboys. Going anywhere and having a good season would’ve shown them up enough. And by being on the opposite sideline from some team that fires you up that much just proves you’re not normally going near 100%.
Yeah I agree, when they reported he turned them down I couldn’t believe it. He will find a team eventually but at this rate it won’t be until someone suffers an injury and he is last resort. I give him 3 yrs and he’s out of the league.
While the money on the Ravens deal was nice, the situation seems dire from an offensive standpoint. Joe Flacco has been meh at best since he won SB and your back up is RG3. I’d like to play out my options too rather than locking myself in to multiple years of a situation that I didn’t think I’d thrive in
Must be tough for these guys who were always given the world to be told they are not good enough for the first time.
Wish the guy all the best, but aging wide receivers can’t be choosers.
Well, that and the fact that like T.O., he’s an I burger with me sauce.
If a player can still fill a role and hasn’t a bad history of injuries then age really isn’t a deterrent. Once the season gets going and teams experience depth problems at various positions the players like Bryant can become short term fixes.
Defenses knowing that Landry is going to be the primary receiver just means teams are goi g to be doubling him. Stop screwing around Browns. Go get Bryant before someone goes down on another team and he finds a home to go to.
Man how bryant has fallen he had a guranteed offer from the ravens and turned them down and look at him now still looking for a deal dumba**
no room for landry and bryant
Funny how everyone seems to speculate on how he’s not good enough, prima donna, etc. A man is allowed to decide whether or not he wants to take a job offer. He’s not, like, your son that might need advice. This is a fully grown man that is allowed to have his own rationale on who he wants to play for, how much he would need to make in order to want to play (whether it would be worth the injury risk to him), etc. There are plenty of valid reasons for why he wouldn’t play.