Kittymama
Benched
- Messages
- 2,170
- Reaction score
- 1
Well, he certainly thinks highly of himself! (Altho the comparison to Moss may be more accurate than he realizes.)
Bryant ready for big things
By Zac Jackson, Staff Writer
January 20, 2005
Antonio Bryant has big plans for his future.
Bryant says he’s “most definitely” one of the NFL’s most talented receivers, and it’s only a matter of time before he shows it.
“When I hear Chad Johnson and Randy Moss and those (elite) guys, that’s what I work towards – to hear my name mentioned with them,” Bryant said. “I observe their game. And when it’s my turn, I’m going to burn the building down.
“That’s a promise. I’m going to burn the building down.”
It’s doubtful that Bryant brought matches and gasoline when he was acquired by Cleveland in a trade with Dallas last October. What he did bring what a set of skills – most notably outstanding athleticism – that boosted a talented but young and injury-depleted receiving corps.
Bryant showed flashes of brilliance, recording a pair of two-touchdown games, and developed chemistry with quarterback Kelly Holcomb. Like the rest of the Browns offense, he struggled with consistency and with the bottom line. The Browns won just one of the ten games Bryant played in.
“The team didn’t succeed,” Bryant said as the Browns closed the book on 2004 earlier this month. “I wish I was getting ready for the playoffs instead of talking about what went wrong, because winning is what matters.
“On an individual basis, I think I did some good things. I wasn’t running the wrong routes. I made some big-time catches on third down.”
And the best, Bryant says, is yet to come.
“I’m 23 years old,” he said. “I’ve got three seasons in the league. I feel like the sky’s the limit.
“Think about the guys that will just be coming into the league this year. A lot of them are 22, 23 years old and just starting. For me, it’s time to open the gates now. Let the floodgates open.”
Bryant knows changes are in store in Cleveland, but he’s dealt with change before. He approaches working with a new coaching staff as a chance to take his game to the next level rather than a detriment to his development.
“It’s all football to me,” he said. “(Learning) will just show what type of progress, how versatile I can be. It was the same thing in Dallas. I was there with (Dave) Campo and we had a system. (Bill) Parcells came in with another system. I was there for two years then I get traded and I’m in another system.
“That’s three systems in three years and six quarterbacks. Three years, six quarterbacks, and I’m still doing my thing. Hey, this is all fun to me.”
Holcomb found Bryant eight times for 131 yards and two scores in Cincinnati on Nov. 28, and the two hooked up seven times for 87 yards in the Browns’ 22-14 win over Houston.
“We had good chemistry out there,” Bryant said. “That’s just rhythm, because he’s a veteran guy who’s experienced. He’s found a way to make the game slow down, and that’s what it’s all about. He had control of the game. What he wanted to do he was able to do out there.”
Of the Houston game Bryant said: “You’re only as good as your last game. That was a statement for us. It’s better to go out like that.”
The 2004 Browns went out winners, but were still a beaten bunch. If they come back healthy in 2005, Bryant thinks things will be different.
“I want to be a major factor in a turnaround,” he said. “You never know who’s going to win the Super Bowl next year. All of a sudden, people might be on the Cleveland bandwagon. That’s how things go in this league.
“You have to look at a roster that’s been demolished (by injuries). One guy on the offense that was starting at the beginning of the season (started at the end). We had all new faces and we still were able to make some progress. When the team is complete and Kellen Winslow is back in the game, that’s a whole other dimension. Andre’ Davis, that’s a whole other dimension.
“When you add myself and Dennis Northcutt, it’s a whole other game. Lee Suggs, that guy there can see the field. It’s a team that’s about to emerge. It’s about to do some good things in the future. We’re going to see better days.”
Bryant ready for big things
By Zac Jackson, Staff Writer
January 20, 2005
Antonio Bryant has big plans for his future.
Bryant says he’s “most definitely” one of the NFL’s most talented receivers, and it’s only a matter of time before he shows it.
“When I hear Chad Johnson and Randy Moss and those (elite) guys, that’s what I work towards – to hear my name mentioned with them,” Bryant said. “I observe their game. And when it’s my turn, I’m going to burn the building down.
“That’s a promise. I’m going to burn the building down.”
It’s doubtful that Bryant brought matches and gasoline when he was acquired by Cleveland in a trade with Dallas last October. What he did bring what a set of skills – most notably outstanding athleticism – that boosted a talented but young and injury-depleted receiving corps.
Bryant showed flashes of brilliance, recording a pair of two-touchdown games, and developed chemistry with quarterback Kelly Holcomb. Like the rest of the Browns offense, he struggled with consistency and with the bottom line. The Browns won just one of the ten games Bryant played in.
“The team didn’t succeed,” Bryant said as the Browns closed the book on 2004 earlier this month. “I wish I was getting ready for the playoffs instead of talking about what went wrong, because winning is what matters.
“On an individual basis, I think I did some good things. I wasn’t running the wrong routes. I made some big-time catches on third down.”
And the best, Bryant says, is yet to come.
“I’m 23 years old,” he said. “I’ve got three seasons in the league. I feel like the sky’s the limit.
“Think about the guys that will just be coming into the league this year. A lot of them are 22, 23 years old and just starting. For me, it’s time to open the gates now. Let the floodgates open.”
Bryant knows changes are in store in Cleveland, but he’s dealt with change before. He approaches working with a new coaching staff as a chance to take his game to the next level rather than a detriment to his development.
“It’s all football to me,” he said. “(Learning) will just show what type of progress, how versatile I can be. It was the same thing in Dallas. I was there with (Dave) Campo and we had a system. (Bill) Parcells came in with another system. I was there for two years then I get traded and I’m in another system.
“That’s three systems in three years and six quarterbacks. Three years, six quarterbacks, and I’m still doing my thing. Hey, this is all fun to me.”
Holcomb found Bryant eight times for 131 yards and two scores in Cincinnati on Nov. 28, and the two hooked up seven times for 87 yards in the Browns’ 22-14 win over Houston.
“We had good chemistry out there,” Bryant said. “That’s just rhythm, because he’s a veteran guy who’s experienced. He’s found a way to make the game slow down, and that’s what it’s all about. He had control of the game. What he wanted to do he was able to do out there.”
Of the Houston game Bryant said: “You’re only as good as your last game. That was a statement for us. It’s better to go out like that.”
The 2004 Browns went out winners, but were still a beaten bunch. If they come back healthy in 2005, Bryant thinks things will be different.
“I want to be a major factor in a turnaround,” he said. “You never know who’s going to win the Super Bowl next year. All of a sudden, people might be on the Cleveland bandwagon. That’s how things go in this league.
“You have to look at a roster that’s been demolished (by injuries). One guy on the offense that was starting at the beginning of the season (started at the end). We had all new faces and we still were able to make some progress. When the team is complete and Kellen Winslow is back in the game, that’s a whole other dimension. Andre’ Davis, that’s a whole other dimension.
“When you add myself and Dennis Northcutt, it’s a whole other game. Lee Suggs, that guy there can see the field. It’s a team that’s about to emerge. It’s about to do some good things in the future. We’re going to see better days.”
