The Ravens didn’t get Antonio Brown, who signed with the Buccaneers, but they did get Lamar Jackson a new receiver in Dez Bryant.
Bryant, 31, signed with the Ravens’ practice squad Tuesday. It gives the Ravens a chance to see if Bryant still can play.
He has not played a game since 2017 with the Cowboys.
“It’s very simple. We’ll just see where he’s at,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday. “He hasn’t played for how many years? So we’ll see where he’s at. There’s a lot to learn. He looked good in the workout. I don’t think you need to make too much more of it than that. He’s on our practice squad roster, which means he’s available to us. So when and if he’s ready to go, he’ll be out there. It’s just really that simple.”
In the 2018 offseason, Bryant turned down the Ravens’ multiyear offer worth $7 million per season. He ended up signing a one-year deal with the Saints six months later but never made to the field after tearing his Achilles in his first week of practice.
Now, after two years out of the league, Bryant jumped at the chance to join the Ravens’ practice squad with no guarantee he ever will see game action.
However, the Ravens’ wideouts rank last in the NFL in receptions (58) and receiving yards (737), so if Bryant can show anything in practice he likely gets a chance on game day.
“Oh man, it’s tremendous,” Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson said of Bryant’s signing. “We just have to see what he’s capable of. I see him on ‘IG’ [Instagram] a lot doing his thing. He’s grinding [and] getting after it. [Executive vice president] Mr. Ozzie [Newsome] and [General Manager] Eric [DeCosta], those guys did a great job upstairs bringing him in. We just have to see if he’s ready, see what he’s capable of and go from there.”