The Dallas Cowboys are going to have to make a decision on wide receiver Dez Bryant at some point soon. Having seen major regression in his game over the past two seasons, Bryant is set to count a whopping $16.5 million against the cap in 2018.
It’s led to speculation that Dallas simply might decide to release Bryant, especially after the team added Allen Hurns in free agency. Though, Bryant himself has a supporter in owner Jerry Jones. The two will meet at some point soon in order to discuss Bryant’s future in Big D.
But according to this report from MMQB’s Albert Breer, Cowboys coaches are disappointed in Bryant’s effort as his previously elite-level skill set continues to dwindle.
“Bryant’s struggle to adjust to playing at a different speed has disappointed the team. He can’t run by anyone anymore. He lacks explosion, evident in the loss of inches off his vertical,” Breer noted. “He’s still inconsistent as a route-runner. He’s hard to count on for Dak Prescott. And as some there see it, he’s not doing enough to counteract all of that.”
That’s the major hurdle here. Stats definitely tell us a story of a veteran that’s already on the downside of his career. Over the course of the past two seasons, the 29-year-old Bryant is averaging just 817 yards and seven scores. In his two previous full seasons, Bryant averaged 1,276 and 14, respectively.
If the Cowboys are openly concerned about both Bryant’s on-field regression and his effort in the face of said regression, we’re sure other teams are looking at this the same way.
If that’s the case, Dallas has to make a decision between either forcing Bryant to take a pay cut or releasing him altogether. There’s simply not going to be any market for him on the trade block. That’s for sure.