DALLAS —
The NFL offseason is finally starting to get underway, things are happening around the league, and the rumors swirling around the Dallas Cowboys are picking up. As it does every year, things begin to gain ground at the NFL Combine, where contract talks usually begin to heat up.
And for once we’re not even musing on the negotiations for QB Dak Prescott, CB Byron Jones, or even WR Amari Cooper, although Cowboys owner Jerry Jones did mention that the team would be talking to their representatives while in Indianapolis.
Instead, the buzz coming from Jones that provided the most intrigue over the last few days has been from commenting about wide receiver Dez Bryant and the possibility for him to return to Dallas where he remains the all-time leader in touchdowns receptions.
Bryant hasn’t been shy about lobbying to come back to play for the only organization he’s ever known in the past few weeks. Now, however, the push to reclaim the star on his helmet actually appears to be gaining some momentum.
Jones mentioned that he has thought about the idea of having Bryant back “a lot” and then proceeded to say exactly where some of those thoughts have occurred in a way that only Jerry Jones can.
Putting Bryant back on the field to catch balls from Prescott is an interesting proposition, but no one appeared to be taking the possibility seriously until Jones spoke. Bryant was once one of the most feared receivers in the league, but injuries robbed him of his dominating ways during his last few seasons in Dallas. Most Cowboys fans still revere Bryant and his time with the team, as does Jones, making his return a viable option.
There are more than a few questions that need to be answered if a potential homecoming with Bryant is to be believed. The biggest one is probably whether or not new head coach Mike McCarthy feels the same way as Jones and the fans about having Bryant on his team.
There’s no nostalgia from McCarthy since he wasn’t in Dallas during Bryant’s heyday and the most he saw of Dez was going up against him as the Green Bay Packers’ coach. “Dez caught it” means something far different for McCarthy, for example. It’s one thing to admire Bryant’s talent on the opposing sideline, it’s quite another to coach a player who has been known to be emotional and demanding about his usage.
It’s also fair to question what Bryant’s role would be if he returns. 2020 Dez wouldn’t be the Dez that dominated an All-Pro season in 2014. Bryant hasn’t played in an NFL game since the 2017 season and the last time he was closing in on an opportunity, an injury with the New Orleans Saints derailed his comeback attempt.
Still, Bryant almost certainly wouldn’t be counted on to be the lead receiver for the Cowboys and he’d need to accept a lesser role. There’s likely to be a lot of mouths to feed in the passing game with Cooper (if he re-signs), Michael Gallup, and possibly Randall Cobb returning. That makes Bryant the fourth option at receiver and it could be tough for him to adjust.
To Bryant’s credit, he has been saying the right things about his evolution as a player and a person, but it can be a different story when the games start and a player with incredible self-belief isn’t being thrown the ball.
Even as unlikely as this idea seemed even just a few days ago, Bryant can still help the Dallas Cowboys. If he buys into a small role with limited snaps, he might be part of the solution on offense. Dallas has struggled in the red zone in recent seasons – with Bryant’s exit being an obvious catalyst. The Cowboys ranked 16th in red-zone efficiency 2019 and 26th in 2018, but Bryant was a touchdown machine when the team needed a big reception inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
Bryant had three straight double-digit touchdown seasons for the Cowboys from 2012-2014 and had 73 receiving scores in his career. In Prescott’s first two seasons, with Dez as his primary option, Bryant averaged seven scores. Bryant’s prowess to come down with jump balls or boxing out smaller defensive backs would be a welcome addition to the offense.
It feels like a longshot for Dez Bryant to come back and play for the Cowboys, but after listening to Jones, the odds are a little higher than they were a week ago. All the workouts videos in the world don’t compare to the soft spot Jones has for Bryant.
However, it might be McCarthy’s first real test as the coach of the Cowboys to see how he handles the loyalty of Jones versus how he wants to put together the personnel of the football team.
Could we really see Dez throwing up the X at AT&T Stadium in 2020? The chances remain slim but perhaps we’re heading from shower thoughts to reality in the latest episode of the soap opera that we’ve come to know as the Dallas Cowboys.
Do you want to see Dez Bryant make a return to the Cowboys in 2020? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
