Dez Bryant will work out with the Baltimore Ravens this week and begin his NFL comeback. Bryant hasn’t played since 2017 while the Dallas Cowboys (his New Orleans Saints stint ended with injury and no snaps).
While Bryant was one of the better receivers in the league during his prime, some are questioning if he has enough left in the gas tank after being off a field for three years. For LaDainian Tomlinson, Bryant appears to be fully healthy but there are some lingering questions.
“From what I see, he looks pretty good,” Tomlinson said. “He’s fully healthy. He’s not favoring any Achilles injury or anything he’s had in the past. The question is, how quickly can he get back into game shape? The tempo and rhythm that you have to have to get back into an offense, that’s yet to be seen. If he can get back to the level he was at before the injury happened.”
As far as getting back into game shape, former quarterback David Carr believes it’s easier said than done for Bryant.
“That’s going to be difficult,” Carr said on NFL Total Access. “Towards the end of his career, he really wasn’t getting a lot of separation. That’s what you have to be realistic about with the Achilles and really two years off. When you look at it, it might be a good fit in Baltimore. When you look at what they do on offense, there are just role guys, tight ends that can block on the inside. Dez can be one of those guys. He’s willing to block. He’s a big, physical guy that can position himself … he can still win those matchups. He doesn’t necessarily have to have the top-end speed and explosiveness. Hollywood Brown does that in Baltimore. For him, this is actually a pretty good fit. He can probably find a role in there if he shows a willingness to mix it up inside.”
According to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, Bryant is expected to travel to Baltimore and workout with the Baltimore Ravens this week. NFL Network’s Jane Slater added that this is a workout that was in the works since around the NFL Draft and closely guarded in hopes of keeping it a secret.
One of the reasons that Baltimore could possibly be looking to add Bryant is to strengthen its receiving corps. In 2019, Jackson’s top target was a tight end with just 852 yards receiving. Marquise Brown was second with 584 receiving yards, but after those two, nobody else came close to having 1,000 receiving yards. With one of the best quarterbacks in the game right now, the Ravens don’t want to miss their championship window because they lacked receivers.
Bryant might be the piece that the Ravens need to get over the hump. The 24th overall pick out of Oklahoma State in 2010 by the Dallas Cowboys, Bryant had over 1,200 receiving yards for three-straight seasons from 2012-2014. Bryant made the Pro Bowl in 2013, 2014 and 2016, and was a First Team All-Pro selection in 2014 when he led the NFL in receiving touchdowns.
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SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com