It’s time to move on from Dez

[dbair1967]

My biggest concern is that Dak will now have to quickly get in rhythm with Hurns and whoever we select in the first or second round. Our offense might be pretty damn boring this year.

The upside is guys that run better routes might get open a lot more easily too.

The other position they need to address to make the passing game better is TE, but unless Witten decides to retire that probably wont happen for 2018. It is somewhat interesting though that a week or two ago it came out that Witten not only was being considered for that Thursday Night Football gig, he actually auditioned. If he was 100% committed to playing in 2018, it seems a little odd to me that he would go through the motions of an actual tryout for that.

 

[MrB]

I didn’t read all the posts here so excuse me if this has been brought up but did y’all hear the interview Dez did with Jane Slater on the NFL network yesterday? He talked about how the “Garrett guys” were partly responsible for him getting cut. He specifically mentioned the “guys with the C on their jersey”. Not hard to figure out that he’s talking about Witten, Dak, and Fredrick. Just thought that was interesting.

 

[Ragnar]

I personally think Dez is out because he was the most logical choice for cap space. It's obvious we didn't need him in 2016 and he played (minus a few plays) abysmal in 2017. I just don't think he's garbage. I think a lot of what happened had to do with the QB change and poor game planning and coaching, along with his diminishing talent. I think with the right team and set of circumstances he can be a monster WR. I could be wrong in which case I'll be buying ocean front property in Arizona from dbair1967.

I think the guy can make a difference on a team, just not the Cowboys. We need players that will make a difference without paying players that don't 12.5M. But I wish the guy luck.

 

[MrB]

I'd rather have DJ Moore, but I really dont want to spend 19 on a WR. I'd rather go either line at 19 or even LB.

Courtland Sutton or Christian Kirk will likely be there for them in the 2nd round.

 

[dbair1967]

I didn’t read all the posts here so excuse me if this has been brought up but did y’all hear the interview Dez did with Jane Slater on the NFL network yesterday? He talked about how the “Garrett guys” were partly responsible for him getting cut. He specifically mentioned the “guys with the C on their jersey”. Not hard to figure out that he’s talking about Witten, Dak, and Fredrick. Just thought that was interesting.

Yeah, again it just reeks of a guy that "doesn't get it"

Dez needs to own some of this, learn from his mistakes and move on. The fact is if he goes elsewhere and continues doing the same things he does now, he wont be good anywhere else either.

The teammates didn't cause him to drop passes, run bad routes or quit on routes. He did all that for himself and it's all right there for anyone to see. They all watch film extensively (much more than any of us) and for everything 1 thing we see live or in a replay from game days, they can probably catch 3 or 4 others.

 

[bbgun]

Dez put out of business because of Jason Garrett, 'Patriot Way'

By Mac Engel

April 13, 2018 06:58 PM


On March 3, Jerry Jones said at the NFL Combine, "You have asked me as I sit here do you want [Dez Bryant] on the team next year and my answer is yes.”

On Friday, Jerry said in a statement, "We arrived at this crossroad collectively with input from several voices within the organization. Ultimately we determined it was time to go in a new direction."

Life sure does come at you fast, especially when your employer is lying through his pretty white teeth and never had any intention of keeping you around in the first place.

The Cowboys retaining Dez was never an option, not even at a reduced rate; Jerry's spin from the Combine in Indy simply bought him time when he didn't need it. The Cowboys dumped Dez not because of money but rather they no longer believe he is worth any price.

Dez's legacy with the Cowboys will ultimately be his X. And that ball he caught in Green Bay that was not ruled a catch until three years later. And drama.

The release of Dez Bryant on Friday means the Dallas Cowboys have gone full New England Patriots, only without the players and coaches to pull it off. Meanwhile, Jerry continues to chase the ghosts from his dynasty teams Jimmy Johnson built more than two decades ago.

Jerry continues the search for his next Michael Irvin, and none of the big names that have followed The Playmaker are close. Not Joey Galloway. Not Antonio Bryant. Not Terrell Owens. Not Dez.

However tenuous you think head coach Jason Garrett and offensive coordinator Scott Linehan should be because of their record, cutting Dez is a decision that acts as yet another confirmation that JJ has quadrupled down on the top end of his staff.

Garrett, and Stephen Jones and Linehan, had had enough of Dez — that was end of Dez Bryant. Chide Jerry for being too meddlesome with the Cowboys, but he normally listens to the people he employs.

While he had to be convinced, somewhat, to release Terrell Owens in March of 2009, the decision to cut Dez did not require as much lobbying.

The decision to dump Dez leaves the Cowboys with a collection of wide receivers who should scare the Dak out of Prescott. Cowboys fans, meet your new No. 1 receiver - Terrance Williams!

That doesn't make me want to throw up the X. It makes me want to just throw up.

Maybe Cole Beasley hit a growth spurt this off-season. Perhaps free agent addition Allen Hurns will be a player.

They added a free agent receiver who played last season for Buffalo and Chicago; I didn't look up his name because, why bother?

Dez has slowed down, and he was not worth the $12.5 million he was due. Nonetheless, he was still this team's best receiver.

Over the past few years, under the behest of Sheriff Stephen Jones, the Cowboys have embraced a philosophy of dumping older players; of going with their own youth over higher-priced free agents. In New England, they call it "The Patriot Way."

And that's great, provided Bill Belichick is your de facto defensive coordinator, and Tom Brady is your quarterback.

Part of that Patriot philosophy is to employ a fleet of receivers whose names you would never know, and do not qualify as a No. 1, receivers whose strength is to run routes correctly, and to not drop passes.

And that's great, provided your quarterback is one of the most accurate passers in the history of the sport.

For all of Dak Prescott's strengths, he has not shown he can drop a pass into a receiver's lap and make him look better than he is.

Dumping Dez will no doubt make the huddle, and sideline, quieter. Maybe easier. There is no guarantee any of Dak's receivers can fare any better than Bryant.

The decision is made, and Bryant's entertaining, noisy and often drama-filled time with the Cowboys is over. From the moment the Cowboys drafted him out of Oklahoma State in 2010, he was fascinating, thrilling and maddening to watch.

Hopefully he lands in a good spot where he can get a nice check and be a productive player. Dez Bryant is good for the NFL.

Meanwhile, Jerry will continue to try to find his next Playmaker, all the while remaining committed to a head coach whose results suggest he's not worth the loyalty.

 

[bbgun]

reminds me of when Michael hugged Fredo

 

[MrB]

Yeah, again it just reeks of a guy that "doesn't get it"

Dez needs to own some of this, learn from his mistakes and move on. The fact is if he goes elsewhere and continues doing the same things he does now, he wont be good anywhere else either.

The teammates didn't cause him to drop passes, run bad routes or quit on routes. He did all that for himself and it's all right there for anyone to see. They all watch film extensively (much more than any of us) and for everything 1 thing we see live or in a replay from game days, they can probably catch 3 or 4 others.

Exactly. Then he immediately starts tweeting that he’s going to be playing the Cowboys twice a year. He’s too stupid to realize that is part of the reason he’s no longer in Dallas. Dude can’t control his emotions. The best thing for his career would really be to take a vet min contract for 1 year to go play for the Saints, Packers, or Patriots. Somewhere with an elite veteran QB. Instead his dumbass would rather go play in Washington or New York (where he’ll suck) just to spite the Cowboys. The dude is an idiot.

 

[Doomsday]

He’s too stupid to realize that is part of the reason he’s no longer in Dallas. Dude can’t control his emotions....The dude is an idiot.

Also too stupid to realize 31 other GMs and owners who might otherwise have some interest in his services are seeing his idiot infantile tantrum antics.

Anybody want a used-up never-was diva WR with zero self control who was a one-trick pony at best?

 

[MrB]

Also too stupid to realize 31 other GMs and owners who might otherwise have some interest in his services are seeing his idiot infantile tantrum antics.

Anybody want a used-up never-was diva WR with zero self control who was a one-trick pony at best?

If I’m the Rams or Eagles the last thing I would want is Dez barking in the ear of my young franchise QB. And can you imagine the locker room if he joined the Giants? The WR coach would go insane trying to control Dez, Beckham, and Brandon Marshall.

 

[bbgun]

Also too stupid to realize 31 other GMs and owners who might otherwise have some interest in his services are seeing his idiot infantile tantrum antics.

Anybody want a used-up never-was diva WR with zero self control who was a one-trick pony at best?

He's still a good red zone threat, and pairing him with someone more accurate than Dak could revive his career. But yeah, he'll always be an assho, er, "passionate."

 

[Doomsday]

He's still a good red zone threat

Those are a dime a dozen anymore. Let's not act like the stupid "jump ball" thing is all that rare. But more to the point, most teams have higher percentage end zone throws they go to.

I'm not saying some dumbass team won't sign him, but it wouldn't surprise me either if his career is done. Same thing happened to T.O., and his skills weren't nearly as diminished as Dez's are.

These fucks don't realize they have a short shelf life if they're divas. Especially if they're only semi-skilled divas.

 

[Scot]

Ill just leave this here. So much for Dez’ revenge

 

[theoneandonly]

John Clayton saying this too. While I'd love Earl Thomas, I dont wanna give up 50.

 

[bbgun]

DMN: Why the Cowboys cut Dez Bryant

By David Moore , Staff Writer Contact David Moore on Twitter: @DavidMooreDMN


What began as a conversation about the need for a pay cut led to a much harsher conclusion.

Internal discussions about how this could work going forward all came to the same realization:

The Cowboys are better off without Dez Bryant.

You may disagree. Many of you do, based on the vitriol being spewed on social media.

Bryant wants to thank the fans for having his back and promises to do all he can to give you, and him, the final word. The No. 88 retribution tour is coming to an opposing team near you soon.

We'll discover over the next nine months if the Cowboys are right in their assessment. The production of the team's receivers during the 2018 season will serve as a referendum on the decision.

Once Bryant and Jerry Jones finally got in the same room, it was painfully clear this was no longer about the money. A source said a pay cut was never broached. Friday's conversation was too quick for the owner to address any sort of salary adjustment.

Money was the spark, but the decision on Bryant quickly evolved into where he stands as a player, how he approaches his job and what's important to him. Could the receiver's temperament allow him to handle a pay cut, or would his hurt and resentment seep into the locker room and impact his interactions with coaches and teammates?

In asking and answering these questions, club officials were forced to acknowledge the support system that helped Bryant flourish early in his career had now become a crutch that too often enabled immature behavior or inhibited his professional growth. They were culpable.

The Cowboys and Bryant were trapped in a dysfunctional relationship that had gone on too long to repair. Rather than allow the association to deteriorate further, rather than desperately searching for a way to stay together for one more season, the club determined it was best to end the relationship and explore more cost-effective options.

Will the passing game have the same potential explosion without Bryant?

No.

Will it be more efficient, and can that compensate for his loss?

The Cowboys have chosen to go with what's behind door No. 2.

Jason Garrett has said the additions of Allen Hurns and Deonte Thompson in free agency did nothing to impact Bryant's status on the roster. The Cowboys coach can state that publicly, but the truth is the statistics posted by Bryant and Hurns over the last three seasons are virtually identical.

No one receiver has to replace Bryant's production this upcoming season. It's reasonable to expect Hurns and the team's first- or second-round pick to surpass what Bryant did in the '17 season.

Quick aside: Bryant's release increases the odds the team will take a receiver in the first round.

If this was the Cowboys' plan all along, why did the club wait until mid-April to make the move? Supporters of Bryant consider this grossly unfair.

But Dallas was never going to sever ties with Bryant until its options were in place. The Cowboys swung and missed on Sammy Watkins to open free agency. That was Plan A.

Plan B fell into their laps when Hurns was released by Jacksonville. This roughly coincides with the stage of draft preparation where the Cowboys are working out receivers individually and inviting them to The Star for visits.

Some point to Monday's start of the offseason program as the reason the decision came down now. That was a factor. But it made no sense for the club to release Bryant before it was far enough along in its assessment of the draft to be comfortable with its options at receiver.

The Cowboys have a receiver or two in mind and are confident they will be able to land one in the draft later this month. That's the primary reason the decision came down Friday morning.

Are the Cowboys better off without Dez Bryant? Club officials believe that's the case. Critics are vociferous in their dissent.

We won't have to wait long for the answer.

 

[theoneandonly]

John Clayton saying this too. While I'd love Earl Thomas, I dont wanna give up 50.

BTW this was only botched in the eyes of fanbois. Dez over played his hand and I think the Watkins contract gave him a false sense of security.

 

[theoneandonly]

Nutshell version: Jerry is willing to pay for, and put up with anything if he thinks you are worth it. He no longer was. The end.

 

[bbgun]

Nothing personal, Dez: Jerry Jones' move was all business, plain and simple

By Kevin Sherrington , Staff Columnist Contact Kevin Sherrington on Twitter: @KSherringtonDMN


On his way out the door Friday, Dez Bryant exhibited a little of the infamous "passion" once routinely cited as an excuse for his boorish behavior, before the Cowboys finally called it for what it was.

Besides intimating he'd end up with an NFC East rival -- because, you know, that's where he could exact the greatest revenge -- Dez called his release "personal."

"If I didn't have my edge," he tweeted, "I got it now."

To recap: Since the end of a second failed season as a reliable target for Dak Prescott, Dez announced he's seeing a route doctor, then essentially admitted he'd lost his edge.

A couple of concessions that he wasn't exactly up to par, and he's taking this personally?

What Dez found out Friday is that football is a business. Stephen Jones tried to tell him and the rest of us weeks ago. All of a sudden, he was referring to Dez's "distractions." Never mind that his antics didn't seem to bother them when Dez was piling up thousand-yard seasons. Stephen sent Dez a message, and it had nothing to do with softening him up for a pay cut. For the record, and it seems silly that I have to be the one to tell you this, you don't need leverage when you're already holding the hammer.

Stephen's message to Dez was the same as the philosophy employed by Don Shula, via our old pal Babe Laufenberg: "We will put up with you until we can replace you."

The Cowboys were trying to replace Dez before Friday's news. They showed their hand by going after Sammy Watkins, then signing Allen Hurns.

For all the arguments about whether Hurns is a No. 1, consider his statistics over the last three seasons and their remarkable similarity to the recently departed's. If Hurns isn't a No. 1, neither is Dez. And the Cowboys got Hurns at half the price.

Dez's release makes you think the Cowboys will lean toward a wide receiver with the 19th pick, should they keep it. Calvin Ridley or D.J. Moore seem likely candidates.

Whoever it is, he'd better have the ability to make this offense more Dak-friendly. That discussion has largely been underplayed in arguing Dez's future with the Cowboys.

As for Dez's prospects outside the only organization he's ever known, some team will give him a shot, though his NFC East prospects look dubious. Maybe the Redskins. Going up against Josh Norman every day in practice would be a hoot, for sure.

A fresh start for Dez would be informative on a number of levels. We'll watch how another team handles his emotions. Remember what Jermichael Finley said about Dez and Aaron Rodgers? If Dez cranked it up with Rodgers on the sideline, the Packers quarterback would "look at him crazy, like he's glass." Still, if anyone could put the ball where Dez needs it, like Tony Romo used to in their glory days, it's Rodgers.

It'll also be interesting to see how another team utilizes Dez. Will he line up any in the slot? The Cowboys never sent him on more than a handful of routes because he didn't show much proficiency in the few asked of him. Maybe another team can get more.

Just the same, whatever his shortcomings now, Dez was once great. Over a three-year period, from 2012-14, he carried the Cowboys' offense. Before injuries and age caught up, and he no longer could outfight defenders, he won on heart and guts and a ferocity I've never witnessed in any other receiver.

Considering how he used his emotions to his advantage on the field, maybe it was too much to ask of him to turn it off once he reached the sideline. Others seem to manage, though. Part of growing up, a tough lesson for some of us.

Anyway, as Jerry Jones said in a statement, Dez remains "a valued member" of the family and one of the Cowboys' best ever. Upheld a great tradition of 88s.

But no matter how good you've been, a time comes for all football players, even those Jerry regards fondly. They don't always get to walk away. Emmitt Smith comes to mind. DeMarcus Ware and Romo, too.

Besides the fact that it clearly wasn't working with Dak, the Cowboys saved more than $8 million against the cap by cutting their career leader in touchdown receptions. Distractions? Believe that if you will. It was simply business, nothing personal. But if it works for you Dez, hey, it's all yours.

 

[bbgun]

 

[theoneandonly]

Everything that is wrong with this organization right here.