Dez Bryant - All Purpose Receiver

[Galian Beast]

I often see Dez Bryant as an all purpose receiver. He excels especially in the end zone and yards after the catch, but he isn't really a great route runner even now, he doesn't consistently get open, and though he has great hands, he isn't a consistent catcher when we really need him to be.

I do think we overpaid for him, and I think the market will (though potentially slowly) reflect that.

I know he was hurt this year, and I don't really hold that against him. I do think he needs to mature as a player and leader on this team, and I do think he needs to work on his craft more.

Ultimately, he will need to take this team as his own when Romo retires. I'd like to see us get a big armed QB who can best take advantage of his strengths, but he needs to grow into not just an all purpose receiver, but well rounded receiver.

I do think he needs a more consistent partner across from him. If you look at most of the highly productive receivers in the NFL, they aren't doing it alone. Even Megatron has felt the hand of time, but even he couldn't carry his team on his own.

You look at Julio Jones and he had Roddie White. When White fell off, that severely impacted Matt Ryan's success.

Terrance Williams holds this offense back really badly. He had 3 touchdowns all year stepping into the number 1 role. THREE touchdowns... I would say that Williams is a good #3, but a subpar #2. I would rather have Beasley in the #3 role than Williams, and I would rather have Butler out there from time to time than Williams. At least to see what he can do with talent around him.

If you don't have an amazing number 2, you need to have a very good #2 and a very good #3.

I think we can work with what we have with Beasley as our third, but we need a major upgrade at #2 to help Bryant out here. I don't think we have time to build a rookie in the Romo era, I think we need to go out there and get a veteran who can have an immediate impact, day one. That being said, I would like to see someone cheap and affordable, and that is what receivers on their rookie contracts can do.

 

[phildadon86]

I think we got a good deal on dez. That's just difference of opinion. I completely agree we need to bring someone else in. Specifically someone with some speed. We haven't had a speed threat since Terry Glenn. Yes it's been that long. The problem with not having speed is that safeties don't really have to defend against it. Look at AZ for an example. They always always played teams that had no choice but to leave both safeties back to be there just in case John brown was running a straight route. We don't have that. So safeties can double down on dez single cover twill and have linebackers cover the aging Witten. It's time we got another WR in here with wheels. Or at least someone who is somewhat dynamic next to Dez.

 

[8FOR!3]

I think we got a good deal on dez. That's just difference of opinion. I completely agree we need to bring someone else in. Specifically someone with some speed. We haven't had a speed threat since Terry Glenn. Yes it's been that long. The problem with not having speed is that safeties don't really have to defend against it. Look at AZ for an example. They always always played teams that had no choice but to leave both safeties back to be there just in case John brown was running a straight route. We don't have that. So safeties can double down on dez single cover twill and have linebackers cover the aging Witten. It's time we got another WR in here with wheels. Or at least someone who is somewhat dynamic next to Dez.

Yeah in a perfect world I would have Dez/Treadwell as a one two punch and someone with some burners in the slot. Let Beasley be the 4th guy and I guarantee you he will have bigger moments.

 

[DogFace]

It's possible op is correct. It's also possible injuries have caused many of our fanbase to under estimate our talent and possibly overreact and over estimate our needs.

I will agree T will was a big let down and may need to be replaced. His body catching severely limits his catching radius.

 

[Galian Beast]

It's possible op is correct. It's also possible injuries have caused many of our fanbase to under estimate our talent and possibly overreact and over estimate our needs.

I will agree T will was a big let down and may need to be replaced. His body catching severely limits his catching radius.

Even when you look at 2013 and 2014, Williams would ghost in the second half of the year.

I'm thinking of our players at their best, not just in this injury filled year. Beasley is a great player, but he isn't a #2 receiver, at least not yet. He should be featured more in our offense though. Witten is just slow. I love Witten, but he doesn't help Romo in the first few seconds of the play, and he doesn't stretch the defense like many of today's tight ends do. Gronkowski nearly single handily will present offense for the Patriots as a major mismatch.

 

[DogFace]

Even when you look at 2013 and 2014, Williams would ghost in the second half of the year.

I'm thinking of our players at their best, not just in this injury filled year. Beasley is a great player, but he isn't a #2 receiver, at least not yet. He should be featured more in our offense though. Witten is just slow. I love Witten, but he doesn't help Romo in the first few seconds of the play, and he doesn't stretch the defense like many of today's tight ends do. Gronkowski nearly single handily will present offense for the Patriots as a major mismatch.

Beasley disappointed me more than even Williams. Witten is slow but I still think he can move the chains and is a good blocker. As others have said his routes need to be past the first down marker on third downs. Hope he's not that slow that he can't get past them.

 

[Galian Beast]

Beasley disappointed me more than even Williams. Witten is slow but I still think he can move the chains and is a good blocker. As others have said his routes need to be past the first down marker on third downs. Hope he's not that slow that he can't get past them.

I don't think the QBs used Beasley well this year. I saw him open several times and he did not get passed the ball. QBs should have over relied on him this year, as opposed to under. He still had a 70% catch percentage, 41 percent of his catches resulted in first downs. He also had 5 touchdowns, a career high.

Witten is a possession receiver where we need a downfield target in today's NFL.

 

[erod]

Dez is a competitive beast, but he isn't fast, he runs poor routes, and he's embarrassingly immature.

This team needs a counterpart for sure.

 

[pancakeman]

It'll be interesting to keep watching Dez develop. In a way, Romo's story gives me hope, since early on Romo was similarly a backyard-type player with special skills that he might overrely on, who would alternately amaze you and disappoint you. Tony matured into a brilliant field general IMO. I can't say Dez has the same smarts, and he certainly has a less privileged foundation to build on, but he does seem to have the same passion for the game which is a good sign.

 

[pancakeman]

Maybe it will prove to be a blessing that Dez's terrible year coincided with a hopeless Romo-less season, if Bryant's disappointment gets channeled into more dedication and discipline in the future.

 

[Galian Beast]

It'll be interesting to keep watching Dez develop. In a way, Romo's story gives me hope, since early on Romo was similarly a backyard-type player with special skills that he might overrely on, who would alternately amaze you and disappoint you. Tony matured into a brilliant field general IMO. I can't say Dez has the same smarts, and he certainly has a less privileged foundation to build on, but he does seem to have the same passion for the game which is a good sign.

I see their stories as very different.

Romo matured as a player because he felt he had to develop as a QB within the system in place. He breaks out of it when he feels he has to and the team in the past was much worse than it is now (arguably).

Dez has no reason specifically to change his game and as a result, I don't think we will ever see him do so to the extent that we would like.

 

[Zimmy Lives]

I don't think the QBs used Beasley well this year. I saw him open several times and he did not get passed the ball. QBs should have over relied on him this year, as opposed to under. He still had a 70% catch percentage, 41 percent of his catches resulted in first downs. He also had 5 touchdowns, a career high.

Witten is a possession receiver where we need a downfield target in today's NFL.

You're no the only one who believes this. He was an under appreciated WR (by his ability to get open) for most of the season. Maybe Cassel and Weeden were too tall to see him or just lacked the ability to find him.

 

[Risen Star]

His career will end badly. He won't age well as his great physical ability declines and he's forced to rely on the technique he's never made a concerted effort to develop. Not to mention he has to read Pop Tart directions in the morning.

I would love to get rid of him as soon as possible considering his contract.

 

[phildadon86]

I see their stories as very different.

Romo matured as a player because he felt he had to develop as a QB within the system in place. He breaks out of it when he feels he has to and the team in the past was much worse than it is now (arguably).

Dez has no reason specifically to change his game and as a result, I don't think we will ever see him do so to the extent that we would like.

I think the scheme has a lot to do with Dez's inconsistency on the field. Im sorry im not trying to turn this into a bash Garrett thread, but at the end of the day, his scheme is so out of date it is actually comical to watch Dez line up every single snap on the outside trying to beat his men. Yes hes double covered 90 percent of the time. Its crazy how this offense was not tailored to his skill set when Romo went down. Ive never seen a WR so underutilized in a scheme. Julio, Brown, Green, Hopkins are all used all over the field, yet Dez is on the outside 90 percent of the time, and people rag on him for not producing? Give me a break

 

[phildadon86]

His career will end badly. He won't age well as his great physical ability declines and he's forced to rely on the technique he's never made a concerted effort to develop. Not to mention he has to read Pop Tart directions in the morning.

I would love to get rid of him as soon as possible considering his contract.

 

[Galian Beast]

I think the scheme has a lot to do with Dez's inconsistency on the field. Im sorry im not trying to turn this into a bash Garrett thread, but at the end of the day, his scheme is so out of date it is actually comical to watch Dez line up every single snap on the outside trying to beat his men. Yes hes double covered 90 percent of the time. Its crazy how this offense was not tailored to his skill set when Romo went down. Ive never seen a WR so underutilized in a scheme. Julio, Brown, Green, Hopkins are all used all over the field, yet Dez is on the outside 90 percent of the time, and people rag on him for not producing? Give me a break

Don't forget we had the exact same issue with T.O. Philadelphia used him all over the place, but here they just put him on an island and asked him to beat someone straight up.

 

[pancakeman]

I see their stories as very different.

Romo matured as a player because he felt he had to develop as a QB within the system in place. He breaks out of it when he feels he has to and the team in the past was much worse than it is now (arguably).

Dez has no reason specifically to change his game and as a result, I don't think we will ever see him do so to the extent that we would like.

I'm saying maybe, hopefully, the embarrassing season that happened this year will spur this maturation. But I'm putting hope on that, rather than money. Only time will tell.

 

[Galian Beast]

I'm saying maybe, hopefully, the embarrassing season that happened this year will spur this maturation. But I'm putting hope on that, rather than money. Only time will tell.

The only thing that's going to help Bryant is a good offensive coordinator (whether that be Linehan or otherwise) a good WR coach (not convinced we did the right thing bringing in Dooley), and help opposite of him.

 

[sureletsrace]

For someone who sucks so much as a WR, he sure does score a lot of TDs.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

We always get carried away with Dez and his "skills."
Yes, he is good. But he is waaaay overrated. Look, Dez cannot hang with the O'Dell Beckhams and Julio Joneses of the NFL.
He's in a tier below them.
Dez's best skill is jumping and grabbing high passes in the end zone. But being a one-trick pony doesn't get you far in the league.