Cleveland Browns: Dez Bryant reportedly no longer an option
By Randy Gurzi
After a visit earlier this week, the Cleveland Browns have reportedly turned the page of free agent Dez Bryant, saying no deal is coming right now
Dez Bryant is clearly one of the biggest names to have visited the Cleveland Browns in quite some time, but how close was the team to signing the free agent wide receiver?
Apparently not close at all.
That’s at least the way Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com sees it. She’s now reporting that while the two sides liked the meeting, the money Bryant is expecting was outside of what the Browns thought it should be.
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"“Bryant, a three-time Pro Bowler cut by the Cowboys in April, visited the Browns on Thursday and Friday but left without a contract. The two sides were impressed with each other and had a good visit, but if they had been close on a deal, he probably would have signed by now.” — Cabot, Cleveland.com"
Cabot also says that Bryant is no longer on the “front burner” for Cleveland. She reports this on the same day that Josh Gordon announced he would return to the team after taking time for his own personal health, but apparently, the two stories are unrelated.
Bryant was cut by the Dallas Cowboys back in April and has had minimal interest around the league. The Baltimore Ravens were reported to have offered him a $21 million deal over three seasons, but Bryant wants a one year contract so he can show he still has the skill that led him to sign a five-year $70 million deal before the 2015 season.
Since coming to terms with Dallas on that deal, Bryant has been a disappointment in Big D. He missed seven games in 2015 and recorded just 31 receptions in the nine games he did play. In 2016 and 2017 he never got on the same page with new quarterback Dak Prescott and put together 50 receptions for 796 yards in 2016 and 69 receptions for 838 yards last season.
While his totals from a season ago seem appealing to a team like Cleveland — who struggled at wideout in 2017 — it’s a lot of smoke and mirrors. Bryant needed 132 targets to get that kind of production and has a career-low 12.1 yards per catch.
He was also seen often losing his cool on the sidelines as he grew frustrated when he wasn’t getting enough passes thrown his way.
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In the end, it’s probably for the best this move didn’t happen. Bryant may have a big name, but his emotional outbursts could be counterproductive to the new culture the Browns are trying to build.