Saints are open to taking another flier on Dez Bryant in 2019
Even though Dez Bryant’s 2018 season with the New Orleans Saints came to an unfortunate end due to a torn Achilles, he could find himself on the Saints’ 2019 roster. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Saints are open to bringing Bryant back in 2019 – but that will depend on his health. Bryant is looking at a six- to nine-month recovery.
Before signing with the Saints, Bryant turned down offers from the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, the Saints. He also fielded interest from the Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, Washington, Green Bay Packers, and Arizona Cardinals.
New Orleans liked Bryant enough to take a flier on him, signing him to a one-year deal worth $1.75M max. The 30-year-old receiver had a chance to make more money, though.
Dez Bryant would have made $50,000 if he caught 25 passes in Saints' last seven games, an additional $100,000 if he caught 30 passes, an additional $150,000 for 35 catches, and an additional $200,000 for 40 catches. Altogether, Bryant could have made another $500,000. Moot now.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 11, 2018
Before Bryant went down due to injury, Bryant worked with David Robinson to hone his route-running skills.
“We worked a lot on his ball skills, hand-eye coordination to get his eyes and his confidence back after he put some balls on the ground last year,” Robinson said. “And we started seeing a big improvement in his mindset to get him back to the player he was from 2010-2016, when he was one of the best players in the NFL.”
Since Bryant, 30, doesn’t possess the speed he once had, he honed his route-running skills to increase his chances of getting open more. Robinson said, “We started seeing more urgency at the top of his routes.” He explained that the Dallas Cowboys only used Bryant for “back-shoulder faces and slants, not using his intermediate route tree. They never really spent time on it. So he spent this offseason working on his craft.”
Let’s hope Bryant can overcome this injury and return to the field in 2019. Bryant, a three-time Pro Bowler, racked up 531 receptions for 7,459 yards and 73 yards in his career. Hopefully he’ll be able to add on those those numbers before he calls it a career.
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