We’ve only found out some of the details about Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant’s arrest, but there’s already a call to suspend him from a longtime Dallas football writer.
Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News wants the Cowboys to avail themselves of the rule in the CBA that allows teams to suspend players for up to four games for conduct detrimental to the team. Gosselin thinks the Cowboys should suspend Bryant for the maximum four games “for the sake of the team and, frankly, for his own sake.”
“It’s time the Cowboys let Bryant know this type of behavior will no longer be tolerated. Suspend him and let him have a month to experience life without football and a paycheck. Maybe he’ll understand what a privilege it is playing in the NFL. If not, cut him. Let him take his baggage elsewhere. Goodbye and good riddance.”
While Bryant’s previous behavior has raised red flags, this feels like a rush to judgment from Gosselin. The other incidents in Bryant’s past haven’t resulted in arrests and Sundays are going to look very different if we’re going to start suspending every NFL player who mishandles his money. The legal process hasn’t even played out in this arrest and Bryant, like all the rest of us, deserves a chance for that to happen before he’s sentenced in legal or public courtrooms.
This isn’t an attempt to sweep everything that’s happened with Bryant under the rug. Immaturity and poor decision making are not helping Bryant lay the foundation for a long, fruitful NFL career and the Cowboys have every reason to be concerned about the future of their talented wide receiver. The team needs to find a way to keep Bryant out of trouble and on the field for both sides to make the most of their relationship.
A suspension might be the right way to do that, but that call can’t be made as a knee-jerk reaction. Let all the chips fall and then come up with an appropriate disciplinary response.