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Dez Bryant

Packers Not Pursuing Dez Bryant

May 15th, 2018 at 4:41pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Cowboys tight end Jason Witten thinks the Packers would be a logical landing spot for Dez Bryant, but we shouldn’t expect to see the wide receiver land in Green Bay. At this point, the Packers are not engaged with Bryant’s camp and nothing is imminent on that front, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link) hears. 

Shortly after Bryant’s release from the Cowboys, league sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com that the Packers were one of four potential destinations for the veteran. Some would argue that the Packers could use more firepower in the WR department, but Packers decision makers do not agree – or, at the very least, they do not see Bryant as a fit at this time.

Bryant turned down a multi-year offer from the Ravens earlier this offseason, a proposal that would have paid him roughly $21MM over three years. Bryant turned down Baltimore as his preference is to play on a one-year deal and cash in next year. Given the lack of league-wide interest in Bryant at this time, he may already be regretting that decision. Since then, the Ravens have moved on by signing restricted free agent Willie Snead.

Bryant’s lack of production in 2017 is obviously at the root of his employment problems, but one has to imagine his perceived attitude issues are also a factor.

Packers Notes: Bryant, Kizer

May 15th, 2018 at 12:37pm CST by Zachary Links

Dez Bryant remains unsigned, but former teammate Jason Witten has some thoughts on where he might land.

“I think he’s going to end up going to the Green Bay Packers,” Witten told ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Drew Davison of the Star-Telegram). “I think that’s a great spot for him. Aaron Rodgers, he throws that back-shoulder throw so well, and Dez [can have] great chemistry with a good quarterback that can put the ball wherever he wants.”

The Packers could be a logical fit for Bryant after the team moving on from Jordy Nelson earlier this offseason. The Packers added a proven weapon for Rodgers in tight end Jimmy Graham, but Bryant would fortify a wide receiver group that is currently headlined by Davante Adams, Randall Cobb, and Geronimo Allison.

Here’s more from Green Bay:

Latest On Dez Bryant

May 2nd, 2018 at 2:34pm CST by Zachary Links

The market for Dez Bryant is not nearly as strong as he expected it to be. At this point, there are “far more” teams unwilling to pay Bryant the league minimum salary than there are teams that would consider Bryant, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via PFT). 

Bryant recently turned down a multi-year offer from the Ravens and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link) hears that it was in the neighborhood of the team’s three-year, $21MM deal for Michael Crabtree. The wide receiver wanted a one-year deal that would allow him to cash in as a free agent in 2019, but the Ravens could only offer Bryant a multi-year deal due to cap restrictions.

Right now, it looks like Bryant has overplayed his hand. Bryant may have to settle for less than the $7MM average annual value he would have gotten from Baltimore, which is a tough pill to swallow given his previous five-year, $70MM deal with Dallas.

Bryant says that he would like to sign with an NFC East team in order to play against Dallas twice in 2018, but it’s not clear whether he’ll find serious interest from the Eagles or Giants. We learned shortly after Bryant’s release from the Cowboys that the Redskins are not looking to sign him.

AFC East Notes: J. Allen, Dez, Jets, Pats

April 29th, 2018 at 10:34am CST by Rory Parks

Former Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen, whom the Bills selected with the No. 7 overall pick in this year’s draft, is believed by many to have the highest upside of any rookie QB in the 2018 class. However, he is also considered quite raw, and given that Buffalo acquired A.J. McCarron — who does not have much NFL game experience, but who has at least been in the league for a few years — this offseason, the general belief is that Allen will be McCarron’s backup before he gets a chance to establish himself.

But Buffalo GM Brandon Beane is not willing to relegate Allen to the No. 2 job just yet. Beane said (via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk, citing NewYorkUpstate.com), “We’re not going to rush him, but you know if he somehow wins the job, he wins it…There will be 52 other players out there and if they see that he’s clearly the best, I don’t think we could [not start him]. We wouldn’t do that at any other position, so we’ll let it go. But he’s got a lot of catching up to do, that’s the thing.”

Now for more AFC East items, starting with another note out of Buffalo:

  • The Bills could use another quality wideout behind starters Kelvin Benjamin and Zay Jones. They added two receivers with their last two picks of the draft (Ray-Ray McCloud with the No. 187 pick and Austin Proehl with the No. 255 pick), but neither player figures to make an immediate impact. However, the team is not interested in free agent Dez Bryant. Beane said, per Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com, “We have looked at Dez on tape, but I wouldn’t take it any further and I don’t know where that would go. We’re looking to get better at all positions and receiver is one, so if we thought that was the right fit for us we would potentially pursue it.”
  • The Jets currently have five QBs on the roster, and teams have been in contact with Gang Green about the possibility of trading for one of those five signal-callers, Bryce Petty. Per Calvin Watkins of Newsday.com (via Twitter), GM Mike Maccagnan essentially confirmed as much, and while he did not mention any names, he sounded hopeful that he could find trading partners for all of his QB surplus (which also includes Christian Hackenberg). When asked if he will need to cut a quarterback, Maccagnan said, “We’ll see how that unfolds going forward. There’s always conversations you have with teams and we’ll see how that unfolds in [a] little bit of time.”
  • There are plenty of mixed feelings on the Patriots‘ 2018 draft class, but as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com observes, the team has a bevy of early picks in the 2019 draft (six selections in the first three rounds). While some have wondered why New England did not draft a signal-caller who could be the heir apparent to Tom Brady, Reiss says the Pats were very aggressive in scouting this year’s crop of QBs but ultimately felt the starting-caliber options did not fall far enough to pursue and did not want to overdraft a backup-type. Reiss, though, believes New England could use their 2019 draft haul to land its QB of the future.

Dez Bryant Rejects Offer From Ravens

April 25th, 2018 at 1:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant turned down a multi-year offer from the Ravens, according to veteran NFL reporter Ed Werder (on Twitter). Bryant is seeking a significant one-year deal that will allow him to secure a lucrative long-term contract as an unrestricted free agent next year. 

It’s not clear if the Ravens are still pursuing Bryant, but it would be surprising if their offer was still on the table after the signing of restricted free agent Willie Snead was finalized earlier this week. Baltimore now boasts a wide receiver group that is headlined by three newcomers in Michael Crabtree, John Brown, and Snead and as well as Chris Moore and former first-round pick Breshad Perriman, so it’s hard to see how there could be enough targets for everyone to share.

The Ravens wanted to lock Bryant down for multiple seasons, but other Bryant suitors will likely be willing to do a one-year deal. Bryant was once amongst the league’s very best wide receivers, but there are tons of question marks about his ability after he posted just 838 yards off of 69 catches in 2017. A one-year deal would also help to ensure that Bryant is exceptionally motivated as he chases another high-paying contract.

Earlier this month, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter identified the Cardinals, Bills, and Packers as potential fits, along with the Ravens. So far, the Ravens have been the only team concretely connected to Bryant. Ideally, Bryant says that he would like to sign with an NFC East team in order to exact revenge on Dallas twice in 2018. On paper, the Giants would make the most sense of any team in the division, but they have yet to express interest in him, even after releasing Brandon Marshall. Meanwhile, we’ve heard nothing connecting the Eagles to the wide receiver and the Redskins do not have him on their radar.

Dez Bryant Won’t Sign Before Draft

April 25th, 2018 at 9:35am CST by Zachary Links

Dez Bryant will land somewhere, but it won’t happen today or tomorrow. The former Cowboys wide receiver is not expected to sign before the draft and his free agency stint could last into May, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears.

At this point, it only makes sense for teams to wait until after the draft to assess their level of need for Bryant. Bryant won’t match the $12.5MM he was set to earn with Dallas in 2018, but it’s safe to say that he’ll command at least a few million on a one-year contract and that’s not exactly chump change for teams. If a club that is interested in Bryant drafts someone like Calvin Ridley, D.J. Moore, or Christian Kirk, they’ll be less apt to spend on the 29-year-old.

It’s not clear which teams are after Bryant at this stage. The Ravens were said to have interest, but the addition of Willie Snead likely takes them out of the running. For his part, Bryant is reportedly looking to sign with an NFC East team in order to exact revenge on Dallas, but there’s no obvious fit within the division. The Redskins are not interested, it’s not clear whether the Eagles have him on the radar, and the Giants are not pursuing him at this time. A return to Dallas is not in the cards either.

Bryant averaged 91 catches for 1,312 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Cowboys between 2012 and 2014. Over the last three years, however, those averages have plummeted to 50 catches for 678 yards and 6 TDs. He also missed ten games due to injury between 2015 and 2016.

Jerry Jones Reaffirms Cowboys Are Moving On From Dez Bryant

April 24th, 2018 at 7:34pm CST by Ryan Posner

Just in case there were any thoughts to the contrary, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones closed the book on any chance of wide receiver Dez Bryant returning to the team. The Cowboys released the three-time Pro Bowler earlier this month.

“I have no thoughts about the timing when we decided to move on [from Dez Bryant],” Jones said, via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter) “… I think a nice, crisp time to call it a day was the way to do this. We need to move on knowing that we don’t have Dez.”

It’s certainly not a shock that the Cowboys reiterated that Bryant’s tenure in Dallas is over. But the fact he’s yet to sign with a team could’ve have raised some eyebrows.

Bryant had expressed interst in joining the NFC East rival New York Giants but NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported last week that the Giants are not interested in signing Bryant at the moment. It’s also been reported that the Jaguars and Browns are out on the Bryant sweepstakes. It was reported that the Ravens were interested in Bryant as well, though they also signed Willie Snead to an offer sheet last week.

Despite picking up Allen Hurns and Deonte Thompson in free agency, the Cowboys are still likely to pick up a receiver at some point in the draft. But they’re not going to try and directly replace the workload of Bryant. They also have Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley and Ryan Switzer on the roster at wide receiver.

“I think we recognize that we have a hole to fill with Dez,” Jones said, via Machota (on Twitter). We know we won’t [get] a pure X receiver to replace Dez [out of this draft].”

Giants Not Interested In Dez Bryant?

April 20th, 2018 at 6:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

Having been a free agent for a week now, Dez Bryant is still interested in landing with a team that is scheduled to play the Cowboys twice this season. But an NFC East avenue has yet to emerge.

The Giants are the latest to hold off on making Bryant’s revenge dream a reality. Big Blue is not “at this point in time vying for his services,” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via PFT’s Charean Williams). Bryant praised the Giants’ setup recently, expressing interest in being installed in the team’s skill-position arrangement.

New York would now make for an interesting destination, having just released Brandon Marshall, and Bryant posted a video of him working out with Odell Beckham Jr. While a Beckham/Bryant setup would be an incredible attempt by one team to corner the wide receiver headline market, that might not be in the cards.

The Giants are not going to take a wide receiver at No. 2 overall, assuming they keep the pick, and may opt to address other needs in the second round as well. But having only signed former second-rounder-turned-special-teamer Cody Latimer this offseason, the Giants figure to add a wideout to mix via the draft or free agency at some point in the near future.

The Ravens are the only team thus far that is believed to have confirmed interest in Bryant, who will turn 30 this season.

East Rumors: Giants, Bryant, Patriots, Brady

April 20th, 2018 at 2:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Dez Bryant took to Instagram to post a video of him working out with Giants star Odell Beckham Jr., fueling speculation that he could land with the Giants. Bryant has been vocal about his desire to sign with the G-Men, but it’s not clear if that interest is being reciprocated by GM Dave Gettleman.

Earlier this week, Brandon Marshall posted – then deleted – a post of his own on Instagram in which he informed Bryant that there was “no room” for him in the Giants’ locker room. Days later, the Giants released Marshall, so there could be room for the three-time Pro Bowler in New York after all.

Here’s more from the East divisions:

  • Was Patriots quarterback Tom Brady ever considering retirement? At least two of his teammates aren’t buying it. Two Pats players tell Mike Giardi of NBC Sports Boston (on Twitter) that they’ve spoken to him this offseason, including discussions about the upcoming season, and he’s never indicated he wasn’t playing/retiring. Brady is also continuing his normal workout regimen/diet, even while in Qatar, according to the players. Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com hear that Brady will indeed play in 2018, though he would like a new contract.
  • Meanwhile, Brady already has made arrangements to get together with some of his Patriots teammates between the end of the offseason program and the start of training camp, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of PFT.
  • Eagles vice president of player personnel Joe Douglas wonders if it will be tougher for the team to land quality undrafted free agents this year because of perception that it will be tough to make the final cut on a deep roster (Twitter link via NJ.com’s Eliot Shorr-Parks).
  • In speaking with reporters, Douglas also noted that there have been many running backs from all parts drafts that have contributed right off of the bat with their teams (Twitter link via Shorr-Parks). That could give some insight into the Eagles’ plans heading into next week’s draft.

NFC East Notes: Dez, Giants, Redskins, Eagles

April 18th, 2018 at 9:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Dez Bryant wants to sign with the Giants after being released by the division-rival Cowboys last week, but a current New York wideout isn’t on board with that idea. In a now-deleted Instagram story, Giants receiver Brandon Marshall said there was “no room” for Bryant on Big Blue’s roster, as Jaclyn Hendricks of the New York Post writes. Marshall, for his part, bombed during his first campaign in New York, as an ankle injury limited him to just five games and 18 receptions. Viewed as a possible cap casualty heading into the offseason, Marshall has surprisingly stuck on the Giants’ roster to this point. New York could still release Marshall at any point, however, and doing so would save the club in excess of $5MM in cap space.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

  • The Redskins were busy hosting draft prospects over the past two days, as Georgia running back Sony Michel, Ohio State center Billy Price, and Washington defensive lineman Vita Vea all visited the nation’s capital on Tuesday/Wednesday, according to John Keim of ESPN.com (all Twitter links). Michel would join a running back depth chart that already includes Chris Thompson, Samaje Perine, and Rob Kelley, while Price could start at either guard or center in lieu of Arie Kouandjio or Chase Roullier, respectively. Vea, meanwhile, would help fill a gap at defensive tackle that the Redskins have already attempted to fill this offseason by showing interest in free agents such as Johnathan Hankins and Bennie Logan.
  • Southern Methodist wideout Courtland Sutton met with the Cowboys on Wednesday, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Dallas has a gaping need at receiver after cutting Bryant, as their roster is currently littered by second- and third-tier pass-catchers. Allen Hurns, Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley, Deonte Thompson, and Ryan Switzer front the Cowboys’ WR depth chart, but Sutton — who is viewed as either a first- or second-round selection — could give Dallas a potential No. 1 wideout. The 6’4″, 215-pound Sutton posted at least 1,000 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns in each of the past two seasons.
  • The Eagles hosted running backs Derrius Guice (LSU) and Rashaad Penny (San Diego State) on Tuesday, reports Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Guice is widely considered 2018’s second-best running back prospect behind Penn State’s Saquon Barkley, and there’s no guarantee he’ll still be on the board when Philadelphia picks at the end of round one. While the Eagles lost LeGarrette Blount to the Lions during the free agent period, they still have Jay Ajayi, Corey Clement, Wendell Smallwood, and Donnel Pumphrey on their roster.
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