Tag: Dez Bryant

Jake Paul launches sports betting and media company Betr: ‘The TikTok-ification of sports betting’

Travis Scott and Ezekiel Elliott are just a couple of Betr’s many investors.

Jake Paul, the YouTuber turned boxer, announced Monday the launch of his new sports betting company, Betr. Founded by Paul and sports betting entrepreneur Joey Levy, Betr is touted as the first direct-to-consumer sports betting company with a focus on micro-betting.

A company press release, explains micro-betting as “a new form of betting that introduces instant gratification to the sports betting user experience by enabling the moments that drive U.S. sports consumption – such as pitches & at-bats of baseball games and plays & drives of football games – to become discrete betting opportunities.”

In addition to betting, Betr will also dive into sports media and content creation.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ChAEa2tuigS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Betr has raised $50 million in funding from investors, including rapper Travis Scott, NFL running back Ezekiel Elliott and wide receiver Braxton Berrios, former players Richard Sherman and Dez Bryant and the co-owners of the 49ers, Celtics and Marlins to name a few.

“I wasn’t into sports betting until I was introduced to micro-betting,” Paul said in the release. “Micro-betting is the TikTok-ification of sports betting and I am excited to bring it to the masses through Betr.”

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Former Ravens WRs comment on Baltimore offense, OC Greg Roman

Two former Ravens wide receivers commented on the Baltimore offense

The Baltimore Ravens have had a high-powered offense ever since they inserted quarterback Lamar Jackson as their starter in the middle of the 2018 season. However, there have been plenty of questions about the offensive system that he’s in, which is currently run by the team’s offensive coordinator in Greg Roman.

In an interview with Tyler Dunne of “Go Long”, former Baltimore receiver Willie Snead was asked about the Ravens’ offense and Greg Roman. He talked about how the system might push some veteran receivers away, and why they draft one or two every year is because veterans with one more shot might want to go elsewhere for the potential of increased targets and production.

A few hours later, former Ravens wide receiver Dez Bryant also chimed in, saying that Jackson’s ability clearly translated to the NFL and that he always thought it should have been easy to figure out.

The systems that Roman runs have been historically successful rushing offenses, but somewhat lacking in the passing game. Baltimore finished last in pass attempts in both the 2019 and 2020 seasons, but in 2021 that number jumped to ninth in the league, partially because the Ravens had to change their system around following injuries to multiple star running backs.

In the first half of 2021, Baltimore’s passing offense looked improved, but that production fell off as injuries continued to hit the unit, including Jackson. The Ravens’ offense under Roman will likely never be one that finishes in the top-five in pass attempts consistently, and the potential lack of production that goes with that fact could indeed push wide receivers away who are looking for more targets.

Baltimore’s offense has been successful as a run-first team, and when fully healthy there’s no doubt that they are explosive. Roman has had a lot of success over his time with the Ravens, but there are also shortcomings to his scheme that must be corrected.

Marion Barber’s Cowboys teammates hint at familiar football concerns

Dez Bryant and Keith Davis played with Marion Barber. Both saw signs that he was struggling, likely due to his violent job as an NFL RB. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Authorities are still trying to piece together what happened to ex-Cowboys running back Marion Barber. Just a few days shy of his 39th birthday, the former fourth-round draft pick was found unresponsive in his Frisco apartment on Wednesday.

A cause of death has not been announced as of midday Thursday, but it is apparent that Barber was going through an especially tough time in his final days. As per a Fort Worth Star-Telegram report, Barber had not had any contact with anyone since Saturday.

Local police were apparently notified of water leaking from an apartment leased to Barber and reported to the residence to perform a welfare check. They had to force entry into the apartment.

A punishing runner with the football, Barber was released by the Cowboys in 2011 after six seasons with the club. He played one more year with Chicago before retiring from football and, in most regards, public life.

When his name did surface in the media, it was generally as part of a story that caused concern.

According to Clarence Hill Jr., Barber had been hospitalized twice for mental health evaluations since leaving the game.

Barber was detained by police in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Mansfield in 2014 and taken to a hospital for one of those evaluations. An arrest in 2019 followed, resulting from an incident where he allegedly damaged two vehicles while he was running in Frisco.

He pleaded no contest in that case, to two counts of criminal mischief, just a few weeks ago. He was sentenced to a year of probation, 60 hours of community service, and a $2,000 fine.

Barber claimed he had been profiled by local police.

Former Cowboys teammate Dez Bryant was particularly worried about Barber last July.

Responding to a video highlight package featuring Barber, Bryant tweeted, “As I watch this video and me knowing exactly how Marion barber life is going right now today is why I built @personalcorner,” referring to a website the wide receiver had helped to start. “I can’t even enjoy it because he’s down and out bad… we are just a stat and moments to most people…”

In another post Wednesday night, Bryant paid tribute to Barber, mentioning his name alongside Demaryius Thomas and Vincent Jackson, other NFL players who have passed away recently at a young age.

“They can’t tell us what’s happening. We all know!” Bryant said, later stating that he had “another meeting” with the NFL Players Association set for Thursday.

Safety Keith Davis was Barber’s teammate in Dallas for three seasons and had remained close with the Minnesota native. The pair spoke weekly; their last conversation was on Friday. Davis says he sent Barber a Bible verse on Wednesday, as was his tradition.

“It’s crazy,” Davis said. “It makes me feel like, ‘Did I do enough? Could I have done something else?’ I know whatever happened to him, it wasn’t him.”

Davis, like Bryant, alluded to the terrible mental toll the sport has exacted on so many football players, sometimes long after their careers. Hall of Fame offensive lineman and Cowboys legend Rayfield Wright just passed away in April at the age of 76. He had been diagnosed with dementia and was vocal about memory issues, cognitive problems, headaches, and seizures.

Barber had been out of football for only 10 years.

But Davis’s comments hint at a belief that the tragic consequences that hastened the end of Barber’s life were likely the result of countless violent hits his friend sustained on the field.

“We all play this game. I have these crazy thoughts,” Davis said. “But I have people around me. I can’t remember certain stuff. It gets scary sometimes. But that hurt. That hurt. He has a great heart. He loved his music. Whatever happened to him, it was not MB.”

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Dez Bryant has high praise for Falcons QB Desmond Ridder

Former All-Pro WR Dez Bryant praised rookie QB Desmond Ridder: “I believe the Falcons got something to build around in the dirty south.”

During the weeks leading up to the 2022 NFL draft, most experts were pretty low on this year’s crop of quarterbacks. Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett was the only quarterback drafted in the first round, and he wasn’t even considered the top QB in the class, according to most analysts.

Both Liberty’s Malik Willis and Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder dropped all the way to the third round, further reflecting the league’s lack of enthusiasm around this class of signal-callers. With both quarterbacks still on the board, the Falcons selected Ridder at No. 74 overall. The pick was widely praised since Ridder was considered a first- or second-round talent and ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 41 rated prospect.

Count former Dallas Cowboys All-Pro wide receiver Dez Bryant among those buying into Ridder. Bryant, who last played for Baltimore in 2020, heaped praise onto the Falcons rookie quarterback.

The Falcons wrapped up rookie minicamp over the weekend and on Monday, they announced the signing of free agent Nick Kwiatkoski. The veteran inside linebacker joins a crowded group that already includes Deion Jones, Rashaan Evans, Troy Andersen and Mykal Walker.

Atlanta also signed Geronimo Allison, Tucker Fisk and Tre Webb on Monday, one day after the team released cornerback Kendall Sheffield.

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No harm in Cardinals potentially adding WR Dez Bryant to offseason roster

As long as the Cardinals don’t give him any guaranteed money, a guy like Bryant could have some upside.

The Arizona Cardinals find themselves in a tough situation at wide receiver this offseason after DeAndre Hopkins was hit with a six-game suspension for PED use. We think they have the wide receiver room to weather the first six games of the season, but that doesn’t mean they can’t look at other options.

One possible option is former Dallas Cowboys star Dez Bryant. He hasn’t played since 2020 and has only appeared in six games since 2017, but he has made it known he would like to play for the Cardinals. He said it to TMZ Sports and also was a guest of the “I Am Athlete Tonight” show on SiriusXM Radio with hosts Leger Douzable, Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones, Brandon Marshall & Antoine Walker.

This isn’t the first time he has said he would like to play in Arizona’s offense, as he did in 2021 as well.

Signing Bryant seems like a bad idea off the bat. It feels like the Kevin White or Michael Crabtree signings of yesteryears.

The fact is signing Bryant doesn’t have to have a downside.

He himself said on SiriusXM Radio that he wants to sign now so he can be in offseason workouts, OTAs and minicamp to learn the offense. This would not be like when they added Crabtree at the end of training camp, never having him practice and then being on the hook for his entre salary after he was on the roster Week 1.

Bryant wants to be in an NFL locker room again. He likes Kyler Murray. He is close with Hopkins. He isn’t looking to be the alpha in the locker room.

If he were to sign a non-guaranteed. league-minimum deal and spend all offseason with the team, if he is good enough to make the team, then what is the downside?

He could play the ‘X’ position and allow A.J. Green, Marquise Brown and Rondale Moore all play their normal positions until Hopkins gets back.

Things could get tricky after Hopkins’ return because back-of-the-roster receivers have to play special teams.

At 33 years old, he is the same age as Green.

If he doesn’t end up having anything in the tank during the offseason and training camp, he can be cut.

He believes he is still a savvy route-runner and could win on the outside.

What would it hurt to bring him in?

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Former Cowboys WR Dez Bryant would like to play for Cardinals

Bryant doesn’t consider himself retired. He would love to be teammates with DeAndre Hopkins.

He hasn’t played a game in the NFL since appearing in six games for the Baltimore Ravens in 2020, but wide receiver Dez Bryant doe not consider himself retired.

Now trying to be a football life coach, he still would like to catch passes in the NFL. If he could pick his team, he would play for the Arizona Cardinals, he told TMZ Sports.

“I would love playing for the Arizona Cardinals,” he said. “Kyler (Murray), the coach, I love the swagger over there. I just love the guys, especially DeAndre Hopkins. That’s my boy. We’re real close.”

He said his “phone line is open” and he wouldn’t even need to start.

“It’s not even so much about starting,” he said. “It’s just being in that locker room and just being a great example.”

That receiver room looks a little full right now.

They have Hopkins, A.J. Green, recently acquired Marquise Brown and Rondale Moore all slated to be the top four receivers. They still have Andy Isabella and have Antoine Wesley and others.

Bryant would certainly love to be in a locker room with Hopkins and Green, but he would be the fifth or six receiver and would have to be a special teams guy. That’s a tough ask for a guy who has played six games since 2017.

Would he fit in? Sure, but it wouldn’t make sense for the Cardinals.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Ja’Marr Chase reveals which NFL great he modeled his game after

Throw Up The X.

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Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is in a class of his own when it comes to rookie-season accomplishments despite earning plenty of comparisons in the process.

One such comparison would fairly suggest his game is reminiscent of former Dallas Cowboys great Dez Bryant.

And it just so happens Chase modeled his game after Bryant’s when he was younger, as he revealed on Colin Cowherd’s “The Herd” recently:

“Yeah so the main person I was watching growing up was Dez Bryant. You know he was always somebody I always watched when he was with Tony Romo. Back then, that’s when we had Marques Colston on the Saints. I was always watching Dez Bryant…I stayed with it, learned from it, that’s when I started to watch other receivers and just take their stuff.” 

Bryant, a big-bodied, yards-after-catch machine, scored 15 touchdowns over his first two seasons (27 games) and scored 75 times over 119 appearances. From 2012-2014, he had three straight years of at least 1,200 receiving yards with 41 touchdowns.

Chase, over his first 16 games, has a record-breaking 1,429 receiving yards with 13 scores while averaging 18.1 yards per catch. No word on if he’ll play in the season finale against the Browns before suiting up in the playoffs, but regardless of when fans see him again, they’ll see more shades of Dez in Bengals stripes.

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Another play Dez Bryant thought was a catch that wasn’t in Bedlam

Dez Bryant disagreed with the officials’ call on a pass play at Oklahoma-Oklahoma State

Dez Bryant was on the sidelines at the Oklahoma-Oklahoma State game, cheering on his Cowboys.

Of course, there had to be a questionable play where Oklahoma State’s Tay Martin tries to make a great catch for a touchdown in the second half.

Bryant signaled a touchdown.

The officials reviewed the play and stood by their call of an incomplete pass.

Where have we seen this scenario with Bryant before?

Of course in the 2014 Divisional round when Bryant was with the Dallas Cowboys and they were playing the Green Bay Packers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1khK6is-Bfs

Upon further review, it was called incomplete.

Bryant disagreed, telling an official, “I’m trying to reach over the goal line, how is that not a catch?”

He’s 0-for-2.

Although the NFL did say Bryant’s play with Dallas was a catch … eventually … like three years later.

Dez Bryant throws shade at Jason Garrett following Giants firing

Dez Bryant wasted no time in taking shots at Jason Garrett following his termination from the New York Giants.

The firing of Jason Garrett as the offensive coordinator of the New York Giants this week was a long time coming to anyone who has been paying attention.

The Giants’ offense — despite major upgrades this past offseason — is still a mess and far too underproductive considering the talent they have in the building.

In all fairness, Garrett had to play the hand he was dealt, which included a subpar offensive line and a continuing spate of nagging injuries to his top playmakers.

None of that mattered in the end as the Giants finally saw what Dallas fans knew all along — that Garrett was not the brilliant offensive strategist he was made out to be.

Several of Garrett’s former players have bashed him for his latent and conservative ways. One player in particular, three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Dez Bryant, has been chirping away at Garrett ever since Garrett was let go by the Cowboys after the 2019 season.

Bryant had played for Garrett in Dallas for eight seasons and the results — for Bryant and the team — fell short of expectations. This week Bryant sent out this tidbit to Giants’ rookie wideout Kadarius Toney, sideswiping Garrett and letting Toney know that his career is about to take off now that Garrett is gone.

Before that, Bryant let his feelings be known about Garrett.

Bryant had a contentious end to his Cowboys’ career and took a shot at Garrett, who took over the head coaching reins from Wade Phillips midway through Bryant’s rookie season in 2010, after Garrett was not retained in January 2020.

“I don’t have no sympathy for coach Garrett losing his job … The Cowboys just became real contenders,” Bryant tweeted.

At the time, that appeared to be harsh. Right now, Giants fans are wondering how they can get the last season and a half back.

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NFL changes Twitter, Instagram bios to quote about Titans’ Derrick Henry

A tweet from Dez Bryant about Derrick Henry is now in the bio of the NFL’s Instagram and Twitter accounts.

Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry is off to a legendary start to the 2021 season, and so much so that even the NFL’s official Twitter and Instagram accounts had to pay respects in their bios.

After another dominant performance in Week 6 against the Buffalo Bills that included a 76-yard touchdown run, Henry has amassed 783 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, both tops in the league.

He’s on pace to win a third straight rushing crown, record a second straight 2,000-yard season, and break the all-time record for most rushing yards in a single season.

It isn’t clear exactly when it happened, but the NFL’s bio on Instagram and Twitter were changed to a quote about Henry that came from a tweet via former NFL receiver, Dez Bryant (H/T Ben Arthur of The Tennessean).

“Derrick Henry is the player we all created whenever we was younger on Madden,” Bryant tweeted on Monday night before it ended up in the bios.

And speaking of Madden, how about adding The King to the 99 club? It’s long overdue, and Titans safety Kevin Byard agrees.

Fresh off another sensational performance versus the Bills, Henry was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 6. It’s the second time this season the Alabama product has taken home the honor.

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