Dez Bryant was desperate for an opportunity to get back into the NFL after a couple of years off for a variety of reasons, including injury. The former first-round pick and Pro Bowler of the Dallas Cowboys eventually found a home with the Baltimore Ravens last season, slowly working his way onto the field a slight bit.
The 32-year-old recently confirmed on his Twitter page that he intends to continue playing, and hopes to get two more seasons out of his body before calling it a career. He also said that he has no intentions of resuming his career with the Ravens.
I will speak on my personal experience…I was in a position where everything was already established.. I took advantage of getting myself right.. I realized quick Baltimore wasn’t the place for me…no bad blood that’s their way of doing things so you gotta respect it.. https://t.co/lfhb2npoTV
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) February 23, 2021
I will speak on my personal experience…I was in a position where everything was already established.. I took advantage of getting myself right.. I realized quick Baltimore wasn’t the place for me…no bad blood that’s their way of doing things so you gotta respect it.. https://t.co/lfhb2npoTV
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) February 23, 2021
Yea but it’s hard.. I’ve been off almost 3yrs..I flashed my abilities 2 the point Harbaugh asked was I ready to play because he thought I was ready and I did the colts game ..reminding all of you.. you have to learn the playbook.. chemistry with the Qb have 2 be on point https://t.co/nOhO4tnD6p
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) February 23, 2021
No OTAs No mini camp and coming in midway through the season is not normal.. I wasn’t bothered about playing time.. I enjoyed myself I met some great teammates.. guys I feel like I will be keeping in contact for a long time.. I’m thankful for the opportunity Baltimore gave me https://t.co/nOhO4tnD6p
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) February 23, 2021
Our chemistry was good on and off the field but it was guys there before me who understood the offensive concepts better than me… you can’t jeopardize that https://t.co/TDOL0f8Fmw
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) February 23, 2021
I plan on playing 2 more years and that’s it for me https://t.co/o6qDCPCo2r
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) February 23, 2021
Obviously, this is not a matter of bad blood, and the veteran made that amply clear, emphasizing the fact that he was ‘hopping aboard a moving train’, as Mike Tomlin might say. “I realized quick Baltimore wasn’t the place for me”, however, he did offer.
Now, the question is whether or not any other team is going to be interested in giving him a chance. Actually having tape of himself from the past couple of years should theoretically help some. He ultimately caught six passes for 47 yards with two touchdowns during the regular season on 129 snaps played across six games.
The Ravens first brought Bryant in for a workout back in August during training camp, but he was not signed. They liked what they saw, but wanted him to work on his conditioning. He finally signed to the practice squad at the end of October.
Bryant was promoted to the 53-man roster a month later, but that came after having already been elevated from the practice squad for in-game participation twice, which is the maximum allotment of elevations.
With 537 career catches for more than 7500 yards and 75 touchdowns, Bryant has certainly accomplished quite a bit in his career, but it will likely be a challenge for him to find an opportunity to play somewhere this season.
Meanwhile, the Ravens will be looking to improve their own wide receiver room, which is currently helmed by Marquise Brown and Willie Snead, along with Miles Boykin, Devin Duvernay, and James Proche, the majority of whom are draft picks within the past two seasons.
For the past two seasons, Baltimore has finished 32nd in the NFL in passing attempts and passing percentage with Lamar Jackson at quarterback, who has rushed for more than 1000 yards in each of those two seasons. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons Bryant—and many other receivers—might not see the Ravens as being ‘for them’.
