Dez Bryant has been looking for work for nearly two months. One veteran pass catcher has a possible answer.
Titans tight end Delanie Walker would be happy to have Bryant in Tennessee.
"[W]e’ve got some good, premier receivers on our team, Corey Davis, Rishard Matthews,” Walker said Saturday at Michael Crabtree’s youth football camp in Dallas, via the Dallas Morning News. “It’s another element if they was to bring him to the team. If he can help us out, gladly I would welcome him with open arms.”
Like so many others, Walker believes Bryant has plenty left in the tank.
“I see him in my type of situation, you know, an older vet guy,” Walker said. “And I’m able to play at a high level, so I’m still sure he’s able to play at a high level. People have got to remember, it’s football. Some years you’re going to have bad years, some years you’re going to have good years. And, you know, they’ve got to look at the better years he had than him having one bad year.”
But here’s the thing. Bryant didn’t have one bad year. He’s had three straight seasons that don’t reflect No. 1 receiver performance, all of which came after he signed his long-term deal in Dallas. His subpar effort in 2015 resulted from injury. In 2016, he played in 13 games and generated fewer than 800 yards. Last year, his total numbers were up, but per-catch average plunged from 15.9 yards to 12.1.
So it’s unclear whether he can still perform at a high level. And it’s unclear whether he’d be happy with the third spot on a depth chart. And it’s unclear whether he’d be able to translate motivation into production.
Regardless, with offseason programs nearly over, Bryant will face a real challenge to learn an offense and earn playing time if/when he signs. And the later he agrees to terms into training camp, the harder it will be.