Tag: Dez Bryant

Cowboys News: Randy Gregory ‘unstoppable” in camp, Dalton Schultz impresses

The Cowboys offense says of Gregory, “We can’t stop him;” Dalton Schultz, Ben DiNucci, and Maurice Canady are among other camp notables. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Several Cowboys players aren’t waiting around to make moves. Tight end Dalton Schultz may be pressing to keep the starting job as Blake Jarwin continues to work his way back from an ACL injury, and Randy Gregory appears to be putting on a clinic at defensive end, prompting a former player and coach to predict an All-Pro campaign for the veteran still on the comeback trail. Maurice Canady is finally getting his Cowboys career started after opting out of 2020, Ben DiNucci is gunning for the primary backup quarterback job, Connor Williams is taking snaps at center, and a new cornerback has been welcomed into the fold.

Plenty more tidbits from camp to start a new week, too. Fans in Oxnard hoping to catch a glimpse of Amari Cooper and DeMarcus Lawrence may have to wait, Troy Aikman stopped by practice to share his expectations for the 2021 offense, Noah Brown and Sean McKeon get the player-profile treatment, slick grass during morning practices may become an issue, and Dan Quinn could become a breakout star when the Cowboys hit HBO. All that, plus a look at the remarkable Hall of Fame journey of Cowboys safety Cliff Harris, and Dez Bryant may not be done quite yet. Here’s your News and Notes.

Cowboys News: Dak Prescott vs Matt Stafford debate, playing a 17-game slate

Ranking Dak Prescott and the NFC East QBs, re-tallying sack totals to 1960, bold predictions for the Cowboys, and what 17 games feels like. The latest Cowboys News and Notes.

So much brouhaha over one spot in a countdown. ESPN touched off a firestorm when it slotted Matthew Stafford over Dak Prescott in a recent ranking of NFL quarterbacks, and Cowboys Nation has thoughts. Meanwhile, NFL.com pays a backhanded compliment by calling Prescott the best passer… in the worst division for the position. Fans are wondering if a new Prescott backup is coming before training camp, and Prescott himself is showing off the new Nike cleats he’ll be endorsing. (Elsewhere, Dez Bryant showcases a pretty famous pair of cleats of his own.)

In other news, what would happen to the list of all-time sack leaders if they were an official stat prior to 1982? One outlet runs the numbers to find out. Also, dig in to what players can expect this 17-game season by looking to the eight men who have already done it. We’ve got player profiles of defenders Randy Gregory and Brent Urban, rookie Chauncey Golston could be a big-time sleeper, and there’s a bold prediction regarding rookie Osa Odighizuwa. Finally, a look at the remarkable career of tight end Mike Ditka and the integral role Tom Landry played in reinvigorating his Hall of Fame career.

6 best trades in Jerry Jones’ Cowboys history

A lot of talk about the bad trades in Cowboys’ history, but what about the best? No. 1 on the list isn’t the one most expect it to be.

There’s been a lot of talk recently about two of the worst trades in Cowboys history. Whether or not sending two first-round picks to Seattle for Joey Galloway, who tore his ACL in his first game and was the marker for the end of the dynasty, or multiple picks to Detroit for WR Roy Williams was worse, they both rank highly on the list of mistakes by Jerry Jones’ front office.

The Williams trade was followed by a big deal and wasted resources early in Tony Romo’s career. The Galloway trade left Dallas without a first rounder after Aikman retired in a draft where Drew Brees went at the top of the second round. Still other bad trades have happened like jumping up to acquire CB Mo Claiborne. But what about the quality trades that Jones has engineered? Those deserve some spotlight as well.

 

Dez Bryant says he has no bad blood with Ravens; wants negative talk to stop

Dez Bryant signed with the Baltimore Ravens in the middle of the 2020 season. He enjoyed his time in Baltimore and says there’s no bad blood

The Baltimore Ravens signed Dez Bryant to a one-year contract in the middle of the 2020 season after he sat out of football for two years. Bryant suffered a serious achilles injury in 2018 and worked hard to recover from it, and he felt like Baltimore was the right opportunity to get back to playing football again.

After working his way back into game shape, Bryant was used sparingly by the Ravens. In six games, he put up six receptions for 47 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 7.8 yards per catch. After catching his first touchdown in over three years against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Bryant dedicated the game ball he received to his daughter for inspiring his comeback.

During a recent exchange with a fan who commented on how many times he was targeted in the red zone by Baltimore, Bryant made it clear that he had no bad blood with the Ravens, and wants people to stop blowing things out of proportion.

Despite his overall low usage, it seemed like Bryant sincerely enjoyed his time with Baltimore, creating bonds with his teammates and embracing the Ravens way. Although he has put out some clips of him dominating in practice on social media as well as hinting that the Baltimore offense has issues that aren’t Lamar Jackson, Bryant has said he’s thankful for the opportunity that the Ravens gave him.

Bryant is currently still a 2021 free agent, but he has said that he knows that Baltimore wasn’t the right fit for him. He also made it known that he believes that the Ravens are a first class organization, so it’s hard to believe he harbors any resentment towards the team. Bryant’s stay in Baltimore didn’t go how many expected, but from his comments it’s safe to say he enjoyed his time with the organization and doesn’t want any other false narrative spread.

Dez Bryant defends Lamar Jackson on Twitter — hinting at Ravens’ offense having other issues

Former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Dez Bryant took a thinly veiled shot at the team’s offense as he defended quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Baltimore Ravens wide receivers haven’t exactly been kind to the organization this offseason. Willie Snead, Dez Bryant, and Marquise Brown have all either posted or liked posts bashing Baltimore’s offense this offseason. Bryant took another thinly veiled shot on Saturday.

Reacting to some perceived negative talk against Lamar Jackson, Bryant took to Twitter to defend his former quarterback. However, in doing so, Bryant hinted that something else in the offense is the reason for the offense’s struggles.

While no player has outright called anyone out, fans and even some analysts have long criticized offensive coordinator Greg Roman for his schemes in the passing game. Fans have also often criticized coach John Harbaugh for a string of disappointing hires at offensive coordinator, seeing six different people hold the job over 13 years.

While some have pointed to Baltimore’s last-place passing attack in 2020, that was more of a result of being last in passing attempts. When comparing passing efficiency, the Ravens actually ranked in the middle of the league. Still, in an era of football where teams throw for over 400 yards on a regular basis, Baltimore’s insistence on being a run-first offense has earned the ire of fans for years. And with this offseason’s comments, it appears as though the players aren’t all that happy either.

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How Dez Bryant inspired fellow Oklahoma State WR Tylan Wallace

Oklahoma State wide receiver prospect Tylan Wallace talks about the inspiration he gets from former Pokes legend Dez Bryant

A decade ago, Dez Bryant was torched Big 12 defenses on his way to being an All-American pass-catcher and a first-round draft pick.

This year, it’s Tylan Wallace who is hoping to parlay his track record of success in Stillwater into a high draft slot, and a successful career at the next level.

Wallace draws inspiration from Bryant, particularly in one area of his game (via Pro Football Focus).

We all know Dez caught it, and Wallace will be doing the same, regardless of where he lands in this year’s draft.

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Dez Bryant expresses desire to play for Cardinals in ‘dope’ offense

The free agent receiver would like to team up with Kyler Murray, DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk.

The Arizona Cardinals are getting a bit of attention this offseason. The move to sign J.J. Watt opened eyes around the league. They are becoming a bit of a destination team. Draft prospect Travis Etienne said his dream scenario would be to be drafted by the Cardinals.

Now, a veteran receiver wants to come here.

Receiver Dez Bryant, a three-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro, expressed his desire to be teammates with DeAndre Hopkins and play for head coach Kliff Kingsbury.

“I wouldn’t mind being in Arizona,” he told TMZ Sports. “I think that would be dope being next to my boy D-Hop, Christian Kirk (and) Kyler Murray.

“I think they have a dope offense. I feel like they’ve got a dope defense. I think they’ve got a dope coach. If I had to choose, yeah, if that opportunity presented itself, I think I would take it.”

Bryant played six games for the Baltimore Ravens in 2020, catching six passes and scoring twice. He did not play in 2018 or 2019.

The Cardinals could use another receiving threat but Bryant hasn’t been that in some time. He would certainly benefit from having Hopkins on the field.

But going with Bryant would feel a lot like when they signed Michael Crabtree. He caught four passes for 22 yards in two games and was cut after that.

Sure, Bryant on the roster in the offseason is fine, but if he is on anything other than a minimum deal, it doesn’t make sense.

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6 top free-agent WRs Ravens should target in free agency

With free agency right around the corner and the Baltimore Ravens needing help at wide receiver, these are the best options available.

One of the milestones of the offseason is the start of free agency. The “legal tampering” period begins on March 15, meaning teams can begin negotiating with free agents ahead of the start of the league year on March 17. The Baltimore Ravens, having more available salary-cap space than most of the league, could be among those signing deals in the first wave of free agency.

One of Baltimore’s top offseason needs is at wide receiver, something the Ravens will need to address either in the 2021 NFL draft or free agency. While Marquise Brown has managed to flash on some big plays over his two seasons in the league, he only recently became a more consistent weapon late last season and into the playoffs. With the team clearly needing to improve their passing attack, finding a top wide receiver to pair with Brown makes quite a bit of sense.

With money tight around the league, it’s expected that free agency will be flush with great options for Baltimore to choose from. Let’s take a look at six free-agent wide receivers that would fit well in the Ravens’ offense.

Tweets by Willie Snead, Dez Bryant, and Marquise Brown point to growing unhappiness in Ravens’ offense

The Baltimore Ravens seemingly have a growing problem with their current and former WRs after three players bashed lack of opportunities

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh might not be willing to beg free agent wide receivers to join the team, but he might want to beg his current and former wide receivers to stay off social media.

On the same day Dez Bryant said Baltimore wasn’t a good fit for him, fellow pending free agent Willie Snead posted a cryptic message on Twitter that was seemingly pointed at the Ravens. In that and subsequent posts, Snead seemed to be calling out Baltimore’s offense and coaching staff for a lack of opportunities.

While this was the most obvious instance, this isn’t the first time this offseason Snead has posted enigmatic tweets that seemed to diss Baltimore.

It might be easy to dismiss Snead’s comments considering his role and production have steadily diminished over his three years with the Ravens. After seeing 95 targets in 2018, Snead had just 94 targets over 2019 and 2020 combined. Snead could also be trying to improve his value with free agency looming, throwing out an excuse for his dropping production. However, what is far more alarming is the fact Snead doesn’t appear to be alone in sharing this viewpoint.

Not only have Bryant and Snead both effectively called out Baltimore over the past week, but Marquise Brown hasn’t exactly been silent on the matter either.

With Brown agreeing with Snead’s opinion, it puts into question his tweet from earlier in February, just minutes after it was announced the Ravens had hired passing game coordinator Keith Williams and wide receivers coach Tee Martin.

I’m not one for reading too much into what players post on social media but the sheer number of head-scratching tweets from current and former Ravens wide receivers aren’t a great sign.

With Baltimore acknowledging their struggles throwing the ball and their intent to continue being a run-first offense, three players are now being far more vocal about their displeasure. Considering the Ravens have finished no higher than 22nd in passing yards over the last three seasons and dead last in passing attempts in 2019 and 2020, it makes sense Snead, Bryant, and Brown would all be upset. It’s unclear whether the players are simply upset about the lack of opportunities in a run-first offense or if they’re more frustrated with offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Regardless of their individual concerns, Baltimore’s coaching staff needs to get with these players to find out what the problem is and fix it quickly.

An offense can’t function nearly as well if a chunk of the players aren’t buying into what’s happening. And for a team that desperately needs help at tight end and wide receiver this offseason, these public complaints can’t be doing the Ravens any favors with pending free agents. It’s these types of issues that can completely derail a team and with Baltimore so close to a Super Bowl, not addressing these concerns would be malfeasance by the Ravens’ top brass.

We’ll see what Baltimore does this offseason to potentially address these concerns, but by the sound of these tweets, increasing the number of pass attempts is the solution.

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10 best phrases and stories from Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is always good for a quote or headline. Here are 10 of Jones’ best phrases and stories.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is at it again.

Jones, who is also the Cowboys’ president and general manager, is alleged to have said owls like to make love with chickens — somehow an analogy for what happens when times are insane. Of course, Jones spun it with his folksy Arkansas style, just as he has with many stories and phrases since buying the team in February of 1989.

Here are 10 of the best stories and phrases from Jones.