I forgot just how incredibly good Dez was

[Gangsta Spanksta]

I like Dez, he had great hands, and could fight for the ball. But honestly, to put someone who wasn't a good route runner in the top spot is a bit much.

 

[gimmesix]

I'm old and watched all but Hays but I'd take Dez over Pearson and many others....

If you are talking about Drew Pearson, I can't agree with that. Pearson was the constant professional who honed his craft and was on the 1970s all-decade team because of it. He was better in his day that Dez was in his.

 

[Gangsta Spanksta]

Austin had an incredible burst out of his routes, but he didn't have great hands and wasn't that good with contested balls. I liked Austin, but I'd take Dez over him in a minute.

Also, I think Romo helped Dez shine. He knew where to throw the Ball for Dez to use his great hands and get the contested balls. Brings to mind when Dez was playing with Dak as the #1, and romo drawing on the commentator display where Dak should've thrown the ball for Dez to catch. I feel pre-hamstrung Austin would've fit better playing in Aikman's precision based offense, because he was a good route runner and Dez not so much..

 

[gimmesix]

Also, I think Romo helped Dez shine. He knew where to throw the Ball for Dez to use his great hands and get the contested balls. Brings to mind when Dez was playing with Dak as the #1, and romo drawing on the commentator display where Dak should've thrown the ball for Dez to catch. I feel pre-hamstrung Austin would've fit better playing in Aikman's precision based offense, because he was a good route runner and Dez not so much..

That may be true. I think with Dez's talents, though, they would have figured out how to use him and use him well. He was a much better player than Alvin Harper could have ever hoped to be. Of course, I don't know if our team could have handled having Michael Irvin and Dez Bryant at the same time, two outsized personalities with a lot of passion.

I do think if we're talking about Dez or Austin instead of Irvin, then I don't know. Austin definitely would have been more reliable to be where he needed to be, but I think a good offensive coordinator and quarterback would have adjusted for Dez's talents. I consider Dez to be a notch below Irvin and Pearson, though, so who knows if we would have had the same success with Dez.

 

[Gangsta Spanksta]

That may be true. I think with Dez's talents, though, they would have figured out how to use him and use him well. He was a much better player than Alvin Harper could have ever hoped to be. Of course, I don't know if our team could have handled having Michael Irvin and Dez Bryant at the same time, two outsized personalities with a lot of passion.

I do think if we're talking about Dez or Austin instead of Irvin, then I don't know. Austin definitely would have been more reliable to be where he needed to be, but I think a good offensive coordinator and quarterback would have adjusted for Dez's talents. I consider Dez to be a notch below Irvin and Pearson, though, so who knows if we would have had the same success with Dez.

I think my viewpoint might also be a bit tainted with first impressions. When TO left the team, I was down in the dumps, because we didn't have a true number 1. People liked Miles Austin speed, but he was still being developed. But then, the season after TO was gone, Austin exploded on the scene to such an extreme that all the sudden nobody cared that TO was gone. That was impactful. Dez on the other hand, people in Dallas used to compare to Alvin Harper, saying that he'd make one good play per game and then be gone, and that, that wasn't good enough for your #1 receiver. Then you saw his bad route running, with Romo having to talk to him and point out where he should've been when he ran the route wrong. It took Dez awhile to develop, but people expected it to be a lot sooner, because he was a first rounder. On the other hand, I think Miles was an Undrafted guy like Romo or drafted in a late round, so people weren't expecting him to ever be a #1, but he exploded onto the scene. Too bad he kept getting ham string injuries...

 

[Ironicalicon]

Slants and 50/50 ball, nah!!! Need to see more

Like KJJ said, he had his strengths and was a legit No. 1 even with his limitations.

 

[Gangsta Spanksta]

Like KJJ said, he had his strengths and was a legit No. 1 even with his limitations.

Yes Dez eventually was a legit No. 1, when he finally developed into the role. 2014 was his peak. Unfortunately, after that he also fell right off the map.

 

[gimmesix]

I think my viewpoint might also be a bit tainted with first impressions. When TO left the team, I was down in the dumps, because we didn't have a true number 1. People liked Miles Austin speed, but he was still being developed. But then, the season after TO was gone, Austin exploded on the scene to such an extreme that all the sudden nobody cared that TO was gone. That was impactful. Dez on the other hand, people in Dallas used to compare to Alvin Harper, saying that he'd make one good play per game and then be gone, and that, that wasn't good enough for your #1 receiver. Then you saw his bad route running, with Romo having to talk to him and point out where he should've been when he ran the route wrong. It took Dez awhile to develop, but people expected it to be a lot sooner, because he was a first rounder. On the other hand, I think Miles was an Undrafted guy like Romo or drafted in a late round, so people weren't expecting him to ever be a #1, but he exploded onto the scene. Too bad he kept getting ham string injuries...

Maybe it was a product of your own expectations? We ask these players for too much as rookies IMO. We weren't really asking much of anything from Austin when he showed he could be more than what we could have expected. I think some were even down on Lamb because he was taken in the first and didn't crack 1,000 yards his rookie year.

Dez's best were 93 catches, 1,382 yards and 16 TDs with the same QB who got bests of 81, 1,320 and 11 out of Austin. Not saying that tells the whole story, but Dez's peak was higher than Austin's. Again, though, loved me some Miles Austin and I don't think he's that far behind Bryant as a receiver. He just essentially had a four-year career because of his late development and hamstring problems. Of course, Dez's peak was about four years, too.

 

[gimmesix]

Yes Dez eventually was a legit No. 1, when he finally developed into the role. 2014 was his peak. Unfortunately, after that he also fell right off the map.

The injuries really took his legs out from under him, and without his physical dominance, he couldn't get it done. Both he and Austin had their careers shortened by injuries.

 

[KJJ]

Rushing him back to try and save a lost season killed his speed.

He never had great speed. He suffered a foot and ankle injury similar to Hakeem Nicks. Both were never the same. Dez’s vertical was never the same after the injury. Wasn’t winning the contested ball battles like he used to.

 

[Tabascocat]

He was fun to watch, any ball in his vicinity was pretty much a catch. He was on his way to being one of the best until the injury. His route running wasn’t the best but athletic ability made up for it.

 

[gtb1943]

I think my viewpoint might also be a bit tainted with first impressions. When TO left the team, I was down in the dumps, because we didn't have a true number 1. People liked Miles Austin speed, but he was still being developed. But then, the season after TO was gone, Austin exploded on the scene to such an extreme that all the sudden nobody cared that TO was gone. That was impactful. Dez on the other hand, people in Dallas used to compare to Alvin Harper, saying that he'd make one good play per game and then be gone, and that, that wasn't good enough for your #1 receiver. Then you saw his bad route running, with Romo having to talk to him and point out where he should've been when he ran the route wrong. It took Dez awhile to develop, but people expected it to be a lot sooner, because he was a first rounder. On the other hand, I think Miles was an Undrafted guy like Romo or drafted in a late round, so people weren't expecting him to ever be a #1, but he exploded onto the scene. Too bad he kept getting ham string injuries...

Austin the man suffering from Terminal Hamstringitis

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

Dez was amazing at YAC. Yet Garrett refused to call plays to get him in space. Run a go, run a stop, never run a slant. Romo would get Dez into motion and move him around, and call slants for him.

Spot on.

He was absolute murder on slants/crossing routes on the rare times they’d throw him one.

 

[KJJ]

The one thing Dez did better than any Cowboys receiver, other than winning jump ball battles was scoring TDs. He scored 41 TDs in the three great years he had in 2012, 2013 and 2014. That was only 2 short of what TO scored in SF in 2000, 2001 and 2002. TO scored 38 TDs in the three seasons he was with the Cowboys.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

Dez was always absurdly hated on by some in the fanbase.

He was amazingly efficient scoring machine:

Dez
75 TDs/537 receptions (+2 punt return TDs)

Witten
74 TDs/1,228 reception

Irvin
65 TDs/750 receptions

 

[Gangsta Spanksta]

Dez was amazing at YAC. Yet Garrett refused to call plays to get him in space. Run a go, run a stop, never run a slant. Romo would get Dez into motion and move him around, and call slants for him.

I guess both Dez and Austin would've had better records if the clapper wasn't in charge of calling the plays.

 

[Runwildboys]

Romo definitely excelled at throwing balls up for grabs.

If his #1 receiver could get open, he wouldn't have had to

 

[Rock423]

After watching some Dez film I forgot just how incredibly good he was. I think he is arguably as good as anyone who ever played the position for the cowboys.
Thoughts?

No doubt. Highly misunderstood. But a straight up dawg!! We need people like him on this team.

 

[Gangsta Spanksta]

Dez was a top 5 WR at his peak
but he never put the work at refining his game like the all time greats did
Jerry Rice and others

I wish I could find the video of the Corner Back who faced Jerry Rice, Irvin and Moss, along with other greats and ranked Irvin over Randy for the 2nd best receiver in NFL history. That kind of respect shows that Irvin and Dez aren't even in the same conversation. I'd take TO over Dez as well without question.

 

[Gangsta Spanksta]

If his #1 receiver could get open, he wouldn't have had to

Yup, that why Dez wouldn't fit into the Aikman's timing based offense. That offense required great route runners to be in an exact spot at an exact time to be at its most efficient. I'm sure that Aikman could've worked Dez into that offense, like he even worked Deion Sanders into it. But that was a gimmick, best to just have good route runners in that offense.