Dez Bryant Free Agency Options Dwindle After NFL Draft
Less than a week after it was reported by ESPN that Dez Bryant was not keen on the idea of signing a multi-year deal to play for the Baltimore Ravens, it appears that there are few options on the table. There is growing speculation that the Buffalo Bills have cooled on their efforts to sign Dez Bryant.
According to the Buffalo Bills’ team site, Bills’ general manager Brandon Beane spoke candidly about Dez Bryant.
“We’ll look at everything. 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.”
Things have become bleak for the former Dallas Cowboys’ star. Dez Bryant is likely a victim of poor timing.
It was 13 days prior to the NFL Draft when the Dallas Cowboys released Dez Bryant. At that time each year, all NFL teams are evaluating potential draft prospects.
While there was not a wide receiver taken before the Carolina Panthers took one at No. 24, there were teams with a need at the position. However, those teams chose to pursue options which offered cost control and upside.
NFL teams which would have been in the running for Dez Bryant went the route of the NFL draft. Had the Dallas Cowboys cut Bryant just two weeks earlier, the current outcome would be different.
It was originally thought that the Buffalo Bills would indeed roll the dice on Dez Bryant. There were a few rumblings that the Bills were considering the notion of adding Bryant, however, the latest news would suggest the contrary.
As the market continues to shrink for Dez Bryant, finding a team to sign him now becomes limited. It is likely that Dez Bryant finds a home by June 1. The contract Dez Bryant signs will not be as lucrative as he perhaps had hoped, but he will eventually land with an NFL team.
The teams which may take a flier on Dez Bryant includes two of the Dallas Cowboys’ biggest rivals: the New York Giants and Washington Redskins. Two additional teams to keep an eye on as Dez Bryant looks for a place to play are the Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders.
The Raiders can use another proven wide receiver after signing Jordy Nelson in free agency. For them to enter the chase for Dez Bryant will hinge on his demands.
Lastly, the Baltimore Ravens cannot be counted out as an option for Dez Bryant. If Bryant is receptive to a one-year deal, something will happen. It just will not materialize until the middle of May or early June.
