After Dez Bryant’s fallout with the Cowboys following the 2017-2018 NFL season, it seemed that he’d be the obvious choice for many teams seeking talent, depth or even just veteran help with their receiving squad and most fans assumed he’d be picked up by a team in no time.
But, as we’ve seen so far there hasn’t been much interest in the 29 year old receiver who has just come off (arguably) the worst season of his career.
Many fans are now coming to the realization that Dez Bryant is no longer an elite receiver in the league with the come up of rookies such as JuJu Smith-Schuester and Cooper Kupp, coupled with the domination of elite receivers for years such as Antonio Brown, Larry Fitzgerald, and Julio Jones. Dez Bryant can still be considered a solid option in the league and I personally believe he could help out some teams with receiving cores that are seeming lacking in talent such as the Bills or the Titans, but no such team has shown too much interest, apart from the Ravens.
Previously, it was reported that he received one offer from the Ravens for $21 million over 3 years (which he declined) and Dez has stated that he would sign with the 49ers but the 49ers haven’t expressed major interest. It is inferred that Dez would like to remain in the NFC so he can get back at his former team and compete against his former teammates and coach.
A recent update shows that the former All-Pro wide receiver may be throwing up the X in FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the former 0-16 Browns. The Cleveland Browns general manager, John Dorsey stated that there is some interest in Dez Bryant being an option for their receiving core. Dez could possibly be a solid option in place of Josh Gordon who has recently returned from a multitude of suspensions dating back to October 2014 until just this past season due to the use of marijuana. It is rumored that Gordon has been struggling with his recovery process and this could mean (the typical) bad news for the Browns. Josh Gordon has also not reported to camp along with a statement that his absence is due to “personal reasons” and John Dorsey added he is unsure of the exact timetable of when Josh would be able to return. With Josh Gordon not reporting to camp, that leaves an open spot for a receiver to be signed on the roster. It seems the Browns are open to any form of change and Dez Bryant doesn’t seem like an option that is outside the realm of possibility. As of right now, Dez has not commented (as of July 25th) on whether or not he’d be open to joining the Browns and no offer has been put on the table for him. I think it would be a risk to go after the 29 year old vet who is coming off of a bad season, but the Browns don’t really have much to lose and Dez Bryant would be a good replacement for Josh Gordon during his time away from the team.
On, July 27th, sources stated (www.cleveland.com), the Browns and Dez Bryant are said to be talking about a potential 1-year deal. Baker Mayfield (among others) are excited about the thought of adding Dez to the team. It was even reported that Dez and the Browns have mutual interest and are working on scheduling a visit. Baker even stated, “We have talent in that room so we’re expecting somebody to step up, but any time you talk about bringing in a guy like that from Texas, that’s pretty exciting.” Dez would receive significant playing time while Josh Gordon is away.
Sources:
1. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000941942/article/browns-discuss-adding-dez-bryant-with-gordon-away
2. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000928524/article/dez-bryant-turned-down-multiyear-offer-from-ravens
3. https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/dez-bryant-has-apparently-decided-on-the-one-team-he-wants-to-play-for-in-2018/