Receiver Dez Bryant meets with Miami Dolphins

[cowboyjoe]

Receiver Dez Bryant meets with Miami Dolphins

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/...visits-dolphins-0402-20100401,0,3295969.story
Dez Bryant, the elite receiver of the 2010 draft, meets with Dolphins officials.

NFL
Miami Dolphins
Football 10:56 p.m. EDT, April 1, 2010
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The Miami Dolphins met with Oklahoma State receiver Dez Bryant on Thursday night in "a get to know you session" that will carry over until Friday, according to league sources.

The Dolphins, who pick 12th in the first round, could use a dynamic player such as Bryant, who is viewed by most evaluators as the draft's top receiver.

However, the Dolphins front office tends to stay away from high-maintenance players, especially when they are a receiver. They've even created a term for them, referring to the Terrell Owens' of the NFL as "diva receivas."

Bryant's draft stock is sliding because of questions about his character, complicated upbringing, work ethic and commitment to football.

Since the draft process began, Bryant, who was suspended for most of last season because he lied to the NCAA investigators, has faced rumors that he skipped meetings, classes and was late for games while at OSU.

"I don't look for trouble. I don't find trouble or none of that stuff. I'm not a troublemaker," Bryant said this week. "Just because I've experienced bad things, that don't make me a bad person. That don't make my mom a bad person. My mom overcame a lot of adversity just as well as I have."

Bryant's sit-down with the Dolphins allowed him to state his case. He has a meeting with Parcells scheduled for Friday. Last season, the Dolphins sat down with Patrick Turner and Brian Hartline in a similar setting before selecting those two receivers in the 2009 draft.

The Dolphins, who are seeking a big-play receiver, could certainly use Bryant's services. Not only did he average 16.5 yards per reception (2,425 total receiving yards) in the 28 games he played for OSU, but he scored 29 touchdowns and was a dynamic returner.

"I just think we need good players. When I say that, we have a lot of good players on our team right now. We want to take good players. But at the end of the day, we have to be concerned with all the other things that are out there," Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said last week when asked about Bryant, who is 6 feet 2, 225 pounds. "He has different issues, and we have to do our due diligence that way. But we have to take good players."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Omar Kelly can be reached at [email protected]
Copyright © 2010, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

 

[casmith07]

The Dolphins need help at WR really badly. Wouldn't be surprised to see them draft him at #12.

 

[MarionBarberThe4th]

If Parcells still has any say in things and isnt busy playing w/ his horsies theyre not taking him.

Brandon Graham, McClain, or Kindle for them in my opinion

 

[casmith07]

If Parcells still has any say in things and isnt busy playing w/ his horsies theyre not taking him.

Brandon Graham, McClain, or Kindle for them in my opinion

Are any of those picks Italian or from Jersey? :laugh2:

 

[MarionBarberThe4th]

Are any of those picks Italian or from Jersey? :laugh2:

I was stunned they didnt take Connor Barwin

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Great spot for him to land because it seems as though Henne is going to be the guy in Miami.

 

[cowboyjoe]

Dez Bryant has talent, but Miami Dolphins must ask if receiver is worth the risk Bob Levey/AP


Posted: 4:22 p.m. Friday, April 2, 2010

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The Miami Dolphins met with Dez Bryant on Thursday and Friday, looking for answers about the most talented, troubled and intriguing wide receiver in the 2010 draft class.

If Bryant is available to the Dolphins with the No. 12 pick on April 22, they will have to decide whether his ability outweighs questions about his character.

"We have to be concerned with the other things that are out there, the issues," coach Tony Sparano said recently. "We have to do our due diligence that way."

Gauging his physical ability is the easy part. In 28 games at Oklahoma State, he had 29 touchdown catches and averaged 16.5 yards per reception. At 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, he fits the NFL prototype for a wide receiver.

ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said Bryant is the most talented receiver available since Calvin Johnson went to Detroit with the No. 2 pick in 2007.

Getting a handle on his baggage is more difficult.

He was suspended 10 games last season because he lied to NCAA investigators, and gained a reputation for showing up late not just to practices but to games.

His irresponsibility was evident again this week during his only off-season workout for NFL decision-makers. After he ran slower-than-expected 40-yard dash times, he said the problem was that he had forgotten his favorite cleats.

Because of his uneven reputation, his interviews with NFL teams could carry extra weight. Bryant told ESPN.com's Calvin Watkins, who first reported Bryant's visit to South Florida, that he had dinner Thursday with Sparano and General Manager Jeff Ireland. Bryant said he was schedule to meet Friday with football operations boss Bill Parcells.

Bryant had dinner Wednesday with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and also met with quarterback Tony Romo. He has visits scheduled with Tampa Bay, Denver, Seattle and Cleveland, which all have picks before the Dolphins do.

"I think they're interested in me a lot," Bryant said of the Cowboys, according to Watkins' report. "I think Miami is, too."

The Dolphins undoubtedly are interested in adding a big-play receiver to a group of second-echelon wideouts. The question is how big a gamble it would be to choose a controversial player with a difficult upbringing who chose NFL outlaw Adam "Pacman" Jones as a workout partner.

"Is it a risk you think you can mitigate ... ?" Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress said of dealing with a diva. "Those are the judgments you have to make."

Childress was the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia when wide receiver Terrell Owens arrived prior to the 2004 season. Owens immediately helped lead the team to the Super Bowl, but later became embroiled in a contract dispute and feuded with his quarterback, Donovan McNabb.

Jones brought Owens to Dallas in 2006, despite the objections of Parcells, then the Cowboys' coach.

Last year's most talented receiver in the draft was another diva, Michael Crabtree of Texas Tech. Because of character concerns, he fell to No. 10 in the draft and then engaged in a protracted contract holdout.

He turned out to be worth the trouble. In 11 games he had 48 catches for 625 yards and two touchdowns while learning the offense and playing with a mediocre quarterback, Alex Smith.

"I'm thankful we have him on our team because he's going to help us win ballgames," no-nonsense coach Mike Singletary said.

Sparano, who coached Owens for two seasons in Dallas, sounds like he might favor investing in a big talent even if the player is high maintenance.

"There's a line you can cross when you're involved in that kind of situation and it becomes confrontational with the quarterback or the coach," Sparano said recently. "That's where it becomes disruptive a little bit. But from my end, those guys just want the football.

"I'd rather they want the ball and are hungry and have a passion for the ball."

 

[MarionBarberThe4th]

I heard if for some reason he were there thats a situation where theyd love to move down

Id love to pit TB and like KC against each other. TB offers #35, #42, and a 2nd next year. KC offers #36 and a 1st next year