Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant has been putting in work on and off the practice field. On the field he’s working on honing his craft as he attempts to a return to the field for the first time since 2017. Off the field he’s working on what he wants most: a reunion with the Cowboys.
It can’t be ruled out. With former head coach Jason Garrett ousted and owner Jerry Jones being the biggest of Bryant’s fans, the all-time leader in touchdown receptions for the franchise could reprise his starring role into a supporting one.
Mike Doocy of the Dallas Fox News affiliate had an impromptu interview with Bryant, which can be seen in its entirely below.
It’s very much on the table. https://t.co/BNGTljl6Np
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) February 13, 2020
“I miss scoring touchdowns,” is what Bryant told Doocy. It’s what he did best, hauling in a franchise-record 73 during his time in Dallas. It also aligns with what the Cowboys need most. The red zone is where he always did the most damage, and it’s an area that has been problematic for Dallas in recent years.
The last time Bryant donned a star on his helmet was in 2017. In what’s not likely a coincidence, the Cowboys finished No. 7 in red zone touchdown percentage at 59.62. In 2018 the team finished at No. 26 with a woeful 51.79%. 2019 was better, but it wasn’t good, with Dallas exactly in the middle of the pack, coming in at No. 16 with a touchdown percentage of 57.41.
For anyone who doubts Bryant’s acumen inside the 20-yard-line, here’s a list of the most efficient pass catchers in terms of touchdowns in the past decade.
Among players with over 100 targets inside the red zone, he ranks No. 3. The thing to take note of is he’s the only wide receiver who ranks in the top 11 players listed here. The rest are tight ends. There’s no receiver more lethal than Bryant in the red zone.
He was asked if he was hopeful for a return to the team that drafted him. He responded with, “That’s right. Yeah, of course, of course. That’s home. That’s home.” He later went on to say “I feel like they got the right pieces to go to the Super Bowl. And I feel like I can help be a part of that.” In a specialized role, there’s no doubt he’s capable of contributing the thing that has always mattered most: scoring touchdowns.
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