NEWSLETTER
Dez Bryant became the most interesting free agent on the market when the Dallas Cowboys parted ways with the Pro Bowl receiver, but finding a landing spot for him hasn’t been all that easy.
In a piece at SI.com’s The MMQB, Conor Orr breaks down Bryant’s options as a free agent in search of a new hone – which include the Chicago Bears at No. 7.
Armed with ample cap space (Orr estimates $24 million) and a need at the position, Orr sees Bryant as a player whose addition could make the Bears’ receivers corps a formidable group. Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel are solid additions to a passing offense that needed as much help as it could get in the offseason. And there’s even hope for Kevin White in some circles ( … if he can stay healthy enough to take offensive snaps (I know, I know)). But adding a Pro Bowl caliber player with big-play potential and a Texas-sized chip on his shoulder after being released by the team that drafted him could bring a new dimension to the Bears’ offense.
So maybe there’s a match here after all.
The Bears did create a vacancy when they allowed Cameron Meredith to sign with the Saints, and Bryant is a free agent wide receiver who – when healthy – has been quite productive over the course of his NFL career and could fill said vacancy. If all things were equal, the team with a need and ample cap space and the player with something to prove would make for a perfect match. But all things aren’t equal.
The Bears would have to weigh several factors first, including whether Bryant’s sideline antics (which seem to have been toned down as he has aged) would be worth the hassle in order to give quarterback Mitch Trubisky another playmaking weapon on the outside. Bryant would have to do some thinking, too. Would he want to spend his age 30 season (and possibly more) with a team that has lost 34 of its last 48 games since the start of the 2015 season? They’re undoubtedly on the upswing – and free agents have noticed – but, still. Let’s be honest with ourselves.
In the end, Chicago is more likely to find a new receiver in the draft, but signing Bryant could allow the team to focus its attention elsewhere. And because GM Ryan Pace has made some surprising moves during his tenure with the Bears, no scenario should ever be ruled out.
Just for fun … Never tell me the odds, unless you can give me the field with a chance to win big:
Online book @bookmaker_eu has posted odds on Dez Bryant’s possible landing spot (FWIW, @CoversJLo loves the Field +500)
Washington Redskins +125
New York Giants +200
San Francisco 49ers +250
Field (Any Other) +500
Houston Texans +1500
Baltimore Ravens +2000 pic.twitter.com/ZmIWTfiABq— Covers (@Covers) April 13, 2018
