Ranking the Five Best Landing Spots for Dez Bryant

Dez Bryant arrived late Monday night in Baltimore ahead of a try-out with the Ravens later this week, part of an ongoing effort from the former Cowboys (and Cowboys) star to earn another shot in the NFL.

Bryant last played during the 2017 season and has been battling back from injury to get back into playing shape after an Achilles tear in 2018 with the Saints, but all signs point to him getting back into a role as “a hell of a security blanket,” as he recently put it on Twitter — either with the Ravens or with someone in need of a veteran, reliable presence at receiver.

Free-agent WR Dez Bryant is expected to travel to Baltimore this week for a workout with the #Ravens, sources tell @SlaterNFL and me.

This has been in the works for a while. Dez hasn't played in a game since 2017, but he's in shape, motivated, and intends to play in 2020.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 17, 2020

So where is his best fit? Let’s run down a few options since interest in him appears more broad than the Ravens.

1. Green Bay Packers

Green Bay was expected to address the receiver position via the draft — and potentially in the first round — but instead the Packers took a QB in Round 1 and didn’t address the position at all. That could be a win for Bryant, who has signaled that he wants to return to a contending team. With Aaron Rodgers, they have a quality club and need another reliable wide-out to pit alongside Davante Adams.

2. Seattle Seahawks

Seattle’s depth at receiver was so thin last season, it signed Josh Gordon off the scrap heap (and is reportedly considering re-signing him or bringing in Antonio Brown). Yuck. Bryant would slot in as an easy No. 3 behind Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf, potentially becoming the team’s go-to red zone target because of his big frame and leaping ability.

3. Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore’s leading receiver last season was its young tight end, Mark Andrews. In fact two of its top three receivers were tight ends. The team is heavily invested in Marquise Brown’s success at receiver, but he’s a stretch-the-field guy, whereas Dez is a possession receiver who could work intermediate routes. For Lamar Jackson, he could be exactly this:

I’m ready to be a hell of a security blanket

— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) August 12, 2020

4. New England Patriots

Even without Tom Brady, New England feels like a formidable landing spot with Cam Newton in the fold and a lot of unproven receivers (outside Julian Edelman). The Pats’ second-leading receiver last season was running back James White and their third- and fourth-leading receivers were Philip Dorsett and Jakobi Meyers, proving there’s catches to be had right away. This is one of the least proven receiving corps in the AFC East — one Dez would immediately upgrade.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers

James Washington was Pittsburgh’s leading receiver last season, so how stinkin’ cool would it be to have him paired alongside another former OSU great?

OK, yeah, I get that that’s not great reasoning here. The real reason is that Pittsburgh, for as good as its receiving group is, looks a little thin. Outside JuJu Smith-Schuster, Washington and Diontae Johnson, the team is still searching for a reliable fourth option. That’s why, for as bad as Donte Moncrief was last season (and he was really bad!), Moncrief still managed to make it five games because the team had no other options.

Now that Big Ben is back in the fold there’s almost certainly more targets to go around, setting Dez up to potentially slot in behind the trio of Washington, Johnson and Smith-Schuster.