BEREA, OH – The so-called “best wide receiving corps in the NFL” began training shorthanded this week. First came Josh Gordon’s announcement that he’d be absent for the start of camp as part of his health and wellness program. Then, upon players arriving in Berea on Thursday, the team announced Ricardo Louis has been lost for the season.
That misfortune leaves the Browns in need of wide receivers. Help maybe coming soon.
Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot was the first to report that the Browns have had initial talks with Dez Bryant’s representatives about signing the former Cowboys’ star to a one year deal. Bryant is represented by Jay-Z’s ROC Nation, which happens to be the same agency that represents Browns’ head coach Hue Jackson.
Now, a report from Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network says the two sides have mutual interest and are working on scheduling a visit.
Sources: The #Browns and FA WR Dez Bryant have mutual interest and the team is working on scheduling a visit with him. Monday would be a logistical day, if not sooner. This could be a match.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 27, 2018
In a joint press conference on Wednesday, Jackson and general manager John Dorsey were asked about the possibility of bringing in Bryant, given the uncertainty regarding Gordon’s eventual return to the team. Dorsey admitted that he and his staff have had internal discussions about the 29-year-old wideout, perhaps hinting at the possibility of it becoming a reality.
“He is a very talented player,” Dorsey said. “Have we had discussions about Dez Bryant? Yeah. That is natural. You can have discussions like that. Now, we will see what comes to fruition the next couple of days, but we’ve talked about it. You have to talk about these things. I have talked about a lot of things. There have been a whole list of players that we have talked about as a staff.”
Meanwhile, Bryant already turned down a reported three-year offer from Cleveland’s division rival Baltimore back in March. Throughout the offseason, the three-time Pro Bowl has been adamant that he wants to play for a playoff contender. However, his reluctance to sign long-term and lack of offers suggests that a one-year prove it deal could be to his liking as well.
Last season, Bryant caught 69 passes for 838 yards and just six touchdowns in a full slate of 16 games. His production has been noticeably on the decline since his last 1,000-yard receiving season in 2014. Injuries haven’t helped his cause either, as 2017 was the first time Bryant played a full season since that memorable 2014 campaign.
The Cowboy castaway doesn’t come without his fair share of baggage either. From outbursts on the sideline and in the locker room, Bryant’s brash personality has certainly rubbed people the wrong way over the years. That combined with the dip in production are likely major factors in why the eight-year veteran is still a free agent on July 27.
How Bryant would fit in the Browns locker room seems of little concern to Dorsey though, who had nothing but praise for him on Wednesday.
“I look at Dez as a very competitive, passionate person. That is how I look at Dez Bryant,” Dorsey asserted.
“I have had a chance to be around Dez, I have known Dez. I had a chance – when he was down in Lufkin, Texas – I was actually at his workout and had a chance to meet him. I know the kind of person that he is and what makes him. He is a very talented player.”
Despite what statistics say about Bryant declining, there is certainly a role available for him on a Browns team in need of receivers at the moment. Not only that but a group featuring Bryant, Jarvis Landry, Corey Coleman and ideally Gordon at some point, could certainly claim the title of the NFL’s best receiving corps.
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