Martavis Bryant has spent the past five years away from the NFL, but he is now back in the league after signing to the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad earlier this week. ... with the hope that as one person inside The Star put it to us, he can add a "new dimension'' to the "Texas Coast Offense.''
Even though Bryant's career was put on pause due to multiple substance abuse suspensions, he was a very effective receiver in his time. Starting in 2014 and then in 44 games with the Pittsburgh Steelers and then-Oakland Raiders, Bryant racked up 2,183 yards and 17 touchdowns while averaging over 15 yards per reception. With his unusual combination of size and speed, as he stands at 6-4 and 215 pounds and ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash at the combine, Bryant proved to be a matchup problem for opposing defenses.
“I think the biggest thing is he brings a body type, his size, his speed, his length, the whole nine yards that’s something we just don’t have in our receiving corps," COO Stephen Jones said. "Nothing against the guys we got here, but we were watching him practice (Thursday) and he’s just about a head taller than the rest of the crew ... I love our receiving crew but he has a body type we just don’t have in our receiving corps.”
Dallas has some very good receivers in CeeDee Lamb , Brandin Cooks and others, but none of them come close to Bryant's size. With the Cowboys' red-zone offense struggling this season, particularly early on, a big receiver like Bryant could be just what they needed.
Legendary Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin is touting the signing as "exactly what Dallas needs!'' And Bryant himself tells us, "The sky is the limit.''
Maybe so. But this will take time, after five years away from the NFL; there are, for instance, no specific plans at the present to call him up to the 53-man roster. Eventually, though, a "new dimension'' to the Dak Prescott-led offense would give the Joneses more to "love'' about that "receiving crew.''
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