Dez Bryant - Pro Football Rumors

Browns Notes: Mayfield, Dez, Gonzalez

August 26th, 2018 at 12:51pm CST by Rory Parks

This does not come as a great shock, but 2018 No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield will open the season as the Browns’ backup signal-caller, as Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald tweets (though head coach Hue Jackson wants to inform his team of his decision before making it official). It was always understood that Tyrod Taylor, whom the Browns acquired in an offseason trade with the Bills, would serve as the team’s starting quarterback at least until Mayfield is deemed ready, and we recently heard that Cleveland is allegedly open to extending Taylor’s contract (he is eligible for free agency at season’s end).

The decision to name Mayfield the No. 2 QB, then, is actually more about the battle between Mayfield and Drew Stanton — Jackson said last week that he was still undecided as to which player would serve as the backup — than the “battle” between Mayfield and Taylor. Stanton, the long-time second-stringer who signed a two-year pact with the Browns in March, will be the team’s No. 3 quarterback, assuming Cleveland elects to keep three QBs.

Now let’s take a look at several more notes out of Cleveland:

Josh Gordon will not play in the Browns’ preseason finale due to hamstring discomfort, but Jackson says the embattled wideout — who is expected to be ready for Week 1 — is “getting close,” per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (via Twitter).
In her weekly mailbag, Cabot says the Browns have not ruled out signing Dez Bryant, who recently rejected the team’s contract offer. She says Bryant liked the Browns and clearly the team had interest in him, so things could change at any time.
Cabot also suggests in her mailbag that Shon Coleman, who was given the first chance to succeed Joe Thomas at left tackle, could well be on the roster bubble.
Jackson says he “thinks” Zane Gonzalez is in the lead in the Browns’ kicking battle, per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter).

Dez Bryant Rejects Browns’ Offer

August 24th, 2018 at 6:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns offered Dez Bryant a deal, but it was not to his liking. The proposed contract was worth less than $5MM, a league source tells Mike Florio of PFT.

By virtue of extending the deal, we know that the Browns are in fact interested in signing Bryant. However, that interest is not necessarily being reciprocated. Some in league circles believe that Bryant is waiting for an offer from a better team, Florio writes.

There could be any number of reasons for Bryant’s potential unwillingness to sign with the Browns. The wide receiver could be looking for a winning situation, which is less than assured with a team that has gone 1-31 over the lsat two years. Bryant may also have reservations about joining a stacked receiver group that includes Jarvis Landry, promising rookie Antonio Callaway, and (hopefully) Josh Gordon. Whatever the reason is, evidence is mounting that Bryant is hesitant about going to Cleveland.

While the sub-$5MM offer was not suitable for Bryant, no one knows exactly what the wide receiver is looking for. And, barring an injury to a star wide receiver, he might not get an opportunity to top that elsewhere.

AFC North Notes: Gordon, Browns, Bengals

August 19th, 2018 at 7:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Browns wide receivers have been perhaps the most discussed position group in the NFL this month, with Josh Gordon, Dez Bryant and Corey Coleman commandeering news cycles. The most talented of these players is on his way to being ready for the regular season. While Gordon has not resumed practicing with the Browns since returning to Berea, Ohio, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com believes his treatment program was geared around getting ready for the regular season. While it’s possible Gordon will miss the entire preseason slate, Cabot sees the seventh-year pass-catcher not only being ready to play in Week 1 but starting alongside Jarvis Landry against the Steelers on Sept. 9. Hue Jackson also is of the belief his embattled playmaker will be out there in Week 1. Although, it’s not out of the question the NFL could have some say in Gordon’s return.

Here’s the latest out of Cleveland, along with other North-division cities.

The Browns’ Bryant interest was genuine, per Cabot, and not a protection against another prolonged Gordon absence. As was the case when he turned down the Ravens’ three-year offer this spring, Bryant wants a one-year deal that will help him return to free agency in a better spot than he was when the Cowboys cut him. Cabot adds both sides were impressed during Bryant’s visit, but Bryant’s price tag was probably too high for the Browns. Though, Cleveland obviously could afford to sign Bryant to whatever one-year deal he wants due to its league-leading amount of cap space. The Browns are going to continue to examine the receiver market, via trade or free agency, per Cabot.
Coleman was not happy with how Hard Knocks handled the sequences that led him being shipped to the Bills. The HBO show only showed the third-year receiver’s frustration in Jackson’s office, and sort-of-serious trade request, and a series of drops or other on-field work Browns coaches deemed unsatisfactory. No discussions about what went into the team’s trade decision were shown, which irked the new Buffalo resident. “With all of that, I’m going to take the high road,” Coleman said after Friday night’s Bills-Browns game (via the Buffalo News). “You all can see for yourself how all that stuff worked out. I just laugh at it because it’s kind of funny. They should have shown the whole thing if they were going to show it.”
Only six of the past 25 players the Bengals have selected in drafts’ final three rounds have failed to make the 53-man roster as rookies, but Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer notes some Bengals 2018 picks are on the bubble. The Bengals have combined to make 11 fifth-, sixth-, or seventh-round picks over the past two years, making some of these talents’ paths to the roster more difficult than they would be under normal circumstances. The team’s trio of 2018 fifth-rounders — cornerbacks Darius Phillips and Davontae Harris, and defensive lineman Andrew Brown — are potential roster cuts, per Dehner. The Bengals cut two rookie fifth-rounders last year, with one of those (Jake Elliott) resurfacing as the Eagles’ new kicker after opening the season on Cincy’s practice squad.
Additionally, rookie seventh-round wide receiver Auden Tate has a legitimate shot to make the Bengals’ roster, Jim Owczarski of the Inquirer writes. A slow 40-yard dash time (4.68 seconds) diminished Tate’s draft stock, making him one of the April event’s final picks, but the 6-foot-5 Florida State alum has emerged as a possible depth piece after a strong training camp. UDFA linebackers Chris Worley and Junior Joseph are also pushing to make Cincinnati’s roster, per Dehner.

Colts Not Currently Interested In Dez Bryant, Jeremy Maclin

August 18th, 2018 at 7:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While they don’t have much depth at wide receiver (especially after losing promising rookie Deon Cain to a torn ACL), the Colts are not currently interested in adding a veteran pass-catcher such as Dez Bryant or Jeremy Maclin, general manager Chris Ballard told Mike Florio on Pro Football Talk’s podcast (link via Andrew Walker of Colts.com).

“Good players, without question,” Ballard said. “Right now internally we’re just gonna continue to work with this young group we have, and continue to go down the preseason path.”

The Colts project to deploy T.Y. Hilton, Ryan Grant, and Chester Rogers as their top three receivers, but the depth chart following that trifecta is relatively barren. Fifth-round pick Daurice Fountain could conceivably log playing time, as could a cavalcade of other options including K.J. Brent, Kasen Williams, Seantavius Jones, James Wright, Matt Hazel, and Zach Pascal, among others.

Bryant, for his part, has drawn limited interest since being released by the Cowboys earlier this year. His recent dalliance with the Browns doesn’t appear to be heading for an accord, and he’s reportedly “not on the front burner” in Cleveland. Maclin, meanwhile, was on the Eagles’ radar at one point, but no official meeting ever took place.

Ballard did not completely rule out signing Bryant or Maclin at some point down the road, admitting each would be “on the list” of free agent receivers the Colts would call if more depth is required.

Browns, Dez Bryant Not Close On Contract

August 18th, 2018 at 4:14pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Now that Josh Gordon has appeared at Browns training camp, Dez Bryant is “no longer on the front burner” in Cleveland, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, who adds the Browns and Bryant did not come close to reaching a contract agreement during the Bryant’s recent visit. While the Browns will keep tabs on Bryant, they’re not expected to sign him in the near future.

The Browns are searching for help at wideout after trading former first-round pick Corey Coleman to the Bills last week, and while Bryant wasn’t initially returning general manager John Dorsey‘s phone calls, the veteran pass-catcher finally agreed to come in for a meeting. Speaking on a conference call earlier today, Cleveland head coach Hue Jackson said Gordon’s presence at camp wouldn’t affect the club’s plans with Bryant (but Cabot’s sources say that isn’t the case).

“No, I think one has nothing to do with the other in my opinion,” Jackson said. “Again, things will unfold as they will. The most important thing we know is that Josh is here, and again, we’ve had a good conversation with Dez and until he’s a Cleveland Brown, I can only worry about the guys that are on this football team.”

Bryant, 29, is reportedly looking for a one-year, “prove-it” deal and wants to play for a contending club. Whether the Browns will fulfill the latter requirement in 2018 is unclear, but Bryant could conceivably wait until a wide receiver injury elsewhere opens a roster spot.

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.

Gordon, for his part, is currently not allowed to practice after the Browns placed him on the non-football injury list earlier today. However, Jackson did allow Gordon could be available for Cleveland’s regular season opener on September 9.

Dez Bryant Discussing Deal With Browns

August 17th, 2018 at 11:07am CST by Zachary Links

It sounds like Dez Bryant‘s Browns visit on Thursday went well. The wide receiver and his agent stayed in Cleveland to discuss a potential deal with the team on Friday, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes.

[Poll: Should The Browns Sign Dez Bryant?]

A league source tells Cabot that a deal is not expected to be signed right away, but Bryant’s extending stay is a promising sign. Bryant also sounded upbeat when making an appearance on the Browns’ in-house radio program.

“I’m happy to be here, you know excited, you know just trying to work out some things,” said Bryant, adding that the team’s facility is “a lovely place.”

Bryant avoided the Browns’ phone calls for a while, but he had a change of heart after watching the first episode of Hard Knocks this season. The wide receiver said that Jarvis Landry‘s speech about toughness and no days off inspired him to come to Cleveland and take a closer look at the team. Bryant, presumably, is eager to play for a winner, and he has reason to believe that the Browns can win despite their combined record of 1-31 over the last two seasons.

Poll: Should The Browns Sign Dez Bryant?

August 16th, 2018 at 12:37pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns and Dez Bryant are meeting today, but each side has reservations about a potential union. Bryant ducked the Browns’ phone calls for a while and only got in touch with the Browns after GM John Dorsey disclosed that to the public. The Browns, meanwhile, aren’t completely sold on Bryant being a good fit for them.

The Browns’ internal conflict is understandable as Bryant’s star has faded considerably in recent years. After averaging 91 catches for 1,312 yards and 14 touchdowns between 2012 and 2014, his averages plummeted to 50 catches for 678 yards and 6 TDs over the last three years. He also missed ten games due to injury between 2015 and 2016, and some say he wasn’t giving 100% towards the end of his run in Dallas.

Will Bryant be motivated by his release from the Cowboys? It stands to reason that he will, but one can’t help but wonder how Bryant would react to a sharp decrease in targets. Bryant would be in line for plenty of looks if Josh Gordon misses time, but the Browns are hopeful that the troubled star will be ready to go in Week 1. It’s not hard to imagine a scenario in which Bryant is relegated to being the third wide receiver behind Landry and Gordon, and there’s also a group of talented young receivers to consider, including rookie Antonio Callaway.

With reservations and interest on both sides, we want to know what you think. Should the Browns sign Bryant? Click below to cast your vote.

Browns, Dez Bryant To Meet On Thursday

August 14th, 2018 at 2:23pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have Dez Bryant‘s visit in the calendar. Bryant will travel to Cleveland on Thursday, according to Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

The Browns’ interest in Bryant has been known for some time, but it has taken us a while to get to this point. Last week, GM John Dorsey told reporters that Bryant would not return his phone calls. Then, that night, Bryant tweeted that he would in fact be meeting with the Browns. Meanwhile, internally, the Browns are unsure as to whether Bryant will be a good fit for them. Each side will have a chance to weigh the pros and cons this week.

In theory, Bryant could be a tremendous No. 2 wide receiver for the Browns behind star Jarvis Landry if Josh Gordon is not available. If Gordon is available, then Bryant might not be in line for a ton of targets, and it’s fair to wonder whether the veteran would be flexible in that scenario. The Browns could also stand pat in the event of a Gordon absence thanks to the presence of youngsters like Antonio Callaway, Rashard Higgins, C.J. Board, Da’Mari Scott, and Damion Ratley.

Bryant averaged just 12.1 yards per reception in 2017, but his resume suggests that he could be capable of more in 2018.

Browns Unsure About Dez Bryant’s Fit

August 13th, 2018 at 10:18am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns finally got their date with Dez Bryant. However, they’re not necessarily certain about signing him. There is internal discussion about whether Bryant is the right fit for the Browns at this time, sources tell Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland.

When Josh Gordon experienced a setback in his recovery earlier this summer, the Browns were concerned about their group at wide receiver. However, they’re not feeling quite as desperate after seeing their group of young receivers improve in recent weeks. Beyond Antonio Callaway and Rashard Higgins, they’ve also gotten positive results out of C.J. Board, UDFA Da’Mari Scott, and sixth-round pick Damion Ratley.

It has been said that Bryant is focused on finding the right fit, but the same goes for the Browns in this instance. When the two sides meet – likely on Thursday – the Browns will also be careful to gauge Bryant’s temperament as they consider the effect he may have on the team.

Bryant, 29, hasn’t topped 1,000 yards receiving since 2014 and his 12.1 yards per reception in 2017 was the lowest average of his career. But he can still post up opposing defensive backs near the end zone and he’s motivated to silence his critics in 2018.

Browns To Meet With Dez Bryant

August 10th, 2018 at 11:01am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns are expecting a visit from free agent wide receiver Dez Bryant during the middle of next week, likely Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Rapoport notes that Bryant has been waiting for the right fit, so Bryant’s sense of how well he meshes with the personnel in Cleveland could be as important as whatever contract offer they make.

On Thursday, GM John Dorsey told reporters that Bryant would not return his phone calls. The unorthodox decision to make that news public appears to have paid off. On Thursday night, Bryant tweeted that he would in fact be meeting with the Browns.

Bryant’s willingness to play for Cleveland had been in doubt, but it sounds like he’s at least open to the possibility. And, without a clear group of suitors here in August, Bryant may not have a ton of options left. That’s not to say that landing with the Browns would be a bad outcome for Bryant – this year’s Browns are clearly a more talented bunch than last year’s, and he will have extra opportunities to shine if star Josh Gordon misses regular season games. Even if Gordon is good to go, there should be plenty of deep ball opportunities for him, and he can take advantage of softer coverage as teams focus Gordon and slot star Jarvis Landry.