Dumbfounded, perplexed, and confused by the lack of interest in Dez

[G2]

He's not in Dallas, at least partly, because he was making Julio Jones money without being anything close to Julio Jones.

A lot of NFL receivers have issues that aren't as physically gifted as Dez.

There's an underlying reason for this. There has to be. That's all I'm saying.

I get that no team wanted to commit to a full-year salary. But now, it's just game-to-game commitment. Seems very low risk for teams in need of a big, physical red zone receiver.

There are a bunch of references that illustrate Bryant's issues for all to see. I think that is a big part in why he's not signed. As much trash as he's talked, the word was he turned down a couple offers. To me, that was a bad move and further tarnishes his rep.
The guy is simply a nightmare. When anyone can youtube plays he failed at or the reality show it's really not hard to see why he's still not signed.

 

[Verdict]

Baltimore denied that they offered that contract, if I understand correctly.

I don't believe Dez has received any legitimate offers. It is possible he has received an incentive laden offer plus a vet minimum salary that he hasn't advertised.

 

[erod]

EROD, he won't run his routes. As Verdict says, I'm not sure if he can't learn, or just refuses.

Vet QB's would not put up w/ it. Young QB's can be ruined by guys like him. Try to match him up w/ any team, and you'll see the conflict.

It's not lack of production so much as it is the why of lack of production. And the why is poor route running and dropped passes.

He never had serious dropped-pass issues before. You don't get too old to catch a football. That was an outlier.

Absolutely correct on the route running, so HOW IS HE THE ALL-TIME LEADER IN TOUCHDOWN PASSES IN COWBOYS HISTORY?

He doesn't suck. That's silly. I agree that no team will want to pair him with a young QB, but a seasoned veteran who knows how to use different types of receivers.

 

[Hennessy_King]

I always felt this way about dez. He's lazy. He worked his *** off, got paid then coasted. He doesn't want to work. He's set for life as long as he doesn't do anything too stupid. If he really wanted to be on a team he would be.

 

[G2]

He never had serious dropped-pass issues before. You don't get too old to catch a football. That was an outlier.

Absolutely correct on the route running, so HOW IS HE THE ALL-TIME LEADER IN TOUCHDOWN PASSES IN COWBOYS HISTORY?

He doesn't suck. That's silly. I agree that no team will want to pair him with a young QB, but a seasoned veteran who knows how to use different types of receivers.

That one team record doesn't mean anything.

 

[America's Cowboy]

No, I'm just making the point that Dez' lack of production is constantly stated, but Witten and Beasley also had down years. Williams didn't even score a touchdown.

It's not fair to just say Dez regressed. The whole offense regressed.

Yep. Dak sucks. It's all his fault.

There. I helped you.

 

[Bleu Star]

We've all been hard on Dez at times. We've also lavished him with praise at other times. He's certainly an enigma wrapped in a mystery inside a puzzle.

I supported his release, but I also winced in the process. I knew he wouldn't react well, and I fully expected a feeling out process from the rest of the league.

But there is no way in Hades I thought he'd be sitting at home on September 20th after Week 2. Not a chance in the world.

Just how bad was he in the locker room? What is out there that apparently none of us know? I'm watching 31 other teams ignore his availability without an offer, outside of a made-for-Hard-Knocks meeting with the Browns.

Corey Coleman has been traded and picked up twice. Josh Gordon is making the rounds. BRICE BUTLER was signed here. Several other receivers are getting released and picked up.

How is Dez not paired up with Rodgers in Green Bay or Brady in New England? Those guys and a few others can deliver the type of throws that made him so successful here for so long. Dez is a touchdown-scoring machine with back-shoulder and high-point throws on target.

Meanwhile, crickets on the Dez front. Still.

I'm sitting here thinking, shoot, $2 million for a one-year deal? Bring him back. If nobody wants him for cheap, the Cowboys aren't risking anything by bringing him back in the fold. You can release him if it's not working for nothing because it's a game-by-game payout now.

I repeat, what is out there that we don't know?

Those All-or-Nothing videos did Dez no favors. He looked like a petulant, out-of-control child at times. But Dez is a gamer, too. While he might have a route tree that looks like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree, there's no question about his passion on game day, which is mostly good and sometimes bad.

If you're not strapped to him with a big contract, where's the risk? I just don't get it.

What do we not understand?

What you don't understand is what I understood early last year. Man... It seems like just yesterday that I was hearing:

• You're crazy if you think Dez won't be on this team next year.
• Dez isn't going anywhere.
• Dez is worth that 14.5 mil they're going to pay him.
• Man get out of here with that mess. Dez is the Dallas Cowboys.
• Jerry loves Dez. He's not going anywhere...

Gosh.. There was so much noise. I'm sure I left a few out.

Where are they now? You could make an ESPN where are they now on the folks that swore up & down I was trippin...

 

[erod]

I always felt this way about dez. He's lazy. He worked his *** off, got paid then coasted. He doesn't want to work. He's set for life as long as he doesn't do anything too stupid. If he really wanted to be on a team he would be.

I go to the games, and one thing he did that always irked me was that he spent a HUGE amount of energy before games running around like a little kid. He was so hyped up, he'd run his pre-game routes like it was the 4th quarter. He'd play with the crowd. Big, infectious smile on his face, so it was nice to see, but he was gassed by pre-game introductions.

Then, by the 4th quarter, he'd be too spent to run. They'd sit him.

 

[erod]

Yep. Dak sucks. It's all his fault.

There. I helped you.

Obviously not, or Dez would have been scooped up in a nanosecond.

But your agenda here is fully noted.

 

[kskboys]

He never had serious dropped-pass issues before. You don't get too old to catch a football. That was an outlier.

Absolutely correct on the route running, so HOW IS THE ALL-TIME LEADER IN TOUCHDOWN PASSES IN COWBOYS HISTORY?

He doesn't suck. That's silly. I agree that no team will want to pair him with a young QB, but a seasoned veteran who knows how to use different types of receivers.

They don't want him. That's what I'm trying to tell you.

OK, let's leave out the drops, as I agree, they are most likely an aberration.

It's route running. You're reverting back to stats. If that's your route, that point is easily thrown in the garbage, as his stats have sucked the last 3 years.

Stop everything else and ask yourself this question: Does a seasoned vet QB need his WR's to run the routes they are supposed to run?

And then ask, "Can you trust Dez to be where the ball is coming?"

You already know the answers. Wasn't it you who mentioned elephant in the room?

 

[LittleD]

We've all been hard on Dez at times. We've also lavished him with praise at other times. He's certainly an enigma wrapped in a mystery inside a puzzle.

I supported his release, but I also winced in the process. I knew he wouldn't react well, and I fully expected a feeling out process from the rest of the league.

But there is no way in Hades I thought he'd be sitting at home on September 20th after Week 2. Not a chance in the world.

Just how bad was he in the locker room? What is out there that apparently none of us know? I'm watching 31 other teams ignore his availability without an offer, outside of a made-for-Hard-Knocks meeting with the Browns.

Corey Coleman has been traded and picked up twice. Josh Gordon is making the rounds. BRICE BUTLER was signed here. Several other receivers are getting released and picked up.

How is Dez not paired up with Rodgers in Green Bay or Brady in New England? Those guys and a few others can deliver the type of throws that made him so successful here for so long. Dez is a touchdown-scoring machine with back-shoulder and high-point throws on target.

Meanwhile, crickets on the Dez front. Still.

I'm sitting here thinking, shoot, $2 million for a one-year deal? Bring him back. If nobody wants him for cheap, the Cowboys aren't risking anything by bringing him back in the fold. You can release him if it's not working for nothing because it's a game-by-game payout now.

I repeat, what is out there that we don't know?

Those All-or-Nothing videos did Dez no favors. He looked like a petulant, out-of-control child at times. But Dez is a gamer, too. While he might have a route tree that looks like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree, there's no question about his passion on game day, which is mostly good and sometimes bad.

If you're not strapped to him with a big contract, where's the risk? I just don't get it.

What do we not understand?

Lots of nice people on this forum feel as you do but, Dak does not want him and Garrett/Linehan do not want him. Dez is a headcase and his antics are a detriment to the locker room. Dez is part of Cowboy history and should stay that way.

 

[G2]

What you don't understand is what I understood early last year. Man... It seems like just yesterday that I was hearing:

• You're crazy if you think Dez won't be on this team next year.
• Dez isn't going anywhere.
• Dez is worth that 14.5 mil they're going to pay him.
• Man get out of here with that mess. Dez is the Dallas Cowboys.
• Jerry loves Dez. He's not going anywhere...

Gosh.. There was so much noise. I'm sure I left a few out.

Where are they now? You could make an ESPN where are they now on the folks that swore up & down I was trippin...

They're still here. Blaming everything on the QB.

 

[birdwells1]

In no particular order:

The timing of his release.
His immature response since.
The Cowboys organization with disparaging remarks after his release.
His asking price.
His wanting to be with a seasoned qb.

 

[erod]

What you don't understand is what I understood early last year. Man... It seems like just yesterday that I was hearing:

• You're crazy if you think Dez won't be on this team next year.
• Dez isn't going anywhere.
• Dez is worth that 14.5 mil they're going to pay him.
• Man get out of here with that mess. Dez is the Dallas Cowboys.
• Jerry loves Dez. He's not going anywhere...

Gosh.. There was so much noise. I'm sure I left a few out.

Where are they now? You could make an ESPN where are they now on the folks that swore up & down I was trippin...

(Oh, they're here. They just quietly flipped sides hoping you wouldn't notice. LOL)

I thought they'd ride one more year with him. I thought they'd ask him to take a paycut perhaps. I honestly didn't think they'd release him until the very end of last season, I had a small notion.

That Seattle game absolutely pissed Stephen off. That is quite evident now. I think that was the end.

 

[kskboys]

In no particular order:

The timing of his release.
His immature response since.
The Cowboys organization with disparaging remarks after his release.
His asking price.
His wanting to be with a seasoned qb.

No excuses. If a team wanted Dez, none of what you're mentioning would matter.

 

[CF74]

And yet another Dez thread, wasting bandwidth

Dude is obsessed with another dude, now we gotta read about it...

 

[cern]

his game tapes speak for themselves. the words from his mouth speak for themselves. ergo, he sits and waits.

 

[birdwells1]

I'm not denying Dez has regressed some, and I don't blame this all on Dak.

I'm just saying....1 year for $1.5 million or so? You can cut him anytime and owe him nothing more? Seems like he's good enough for that. He's not the worst receiver in football for crying out loud.

But there's something else. Just can't figure out what it is.

It's not production, just off his performance last year he should be on a team. It seems like he's being blackballed or something.

 

[Vinnie2u]

Him and Jerry have a side deal. Sign with no one. Come back after week 3.

 

[irishline]

There is another part to this that is very rarely discussed. His "Jones fracture" injury. There was quite a bit of discussion about it when the injury occurred and whether or not he would ever be the same player again. It is true that most do return to the same level of production after that type of injury but not all are able to. We talk about "he got paid and doesn't care" or whatnot, but that injury happened 2 games into his new contract. Unfortunate timing but it is what it is.

Now don't get me wrong I am not blaming it all on the injury. He was never a great route runner, and Romo was able to make him a better receiver because of his accuracy. But I find the timing of the injury and the difference in the 3 years before it and 3 years after it to be very striking. 3 years before the injury: 273 catches, 3,935 yards, and 41 TDs. 3 years after it: 150 catches, 2,035 yards, and 17 TDs.

His best trait was the jump ball, if he was unable to recover to a preinjury level of play, this got taken away from him (at least the consistency). He was unable (or unwilling) to adapt because of a few things (most of which were on him): 1) He was never an accomplished route runner to begin with, 2) He refused to believe his skills diminished because of age and the injury, and 3) He refused to work on improving his route running because he still believed his skill set hadn't changed. It is sometimes hard to cope and believe you are not capable of things you excelled when your faculties diminish in any aspect of life.

This is all my opinion of course, but he simply was not the same player after that fracture. Sure there were other factors (that have been discussed ad nauseam for at least a year), but this was the starting point of the decline (IMO). While I agreed with decision to release him, it saddens me to see the level of vitriol he has been getting as if he hadn't put up possibly the best 3 year window of any receiver in Cowboys history or genuinely cared about and was proud of being a member of this team.

(That said I too am a bit annoyed that he wasn't trying to improve things he could over the past few years to help himself and the team)

At the end of the day he is just not the receiver he was, its that simple (no matter what the reason).

Dak needs to improve. Since Dez isn't always where he's supposed to be, he was not going to help Dak improve.

Perfectly stated.