Cowboys news: Dez Bryant saga has an end date and it’s very soon

Should Cowboys keep or leave Dez? Here's what the experts are saying. - SportsDay Staff
What does the SportsDay staff think the Cowboys should ultimately do with Dez Bryant?

“Teammates, coaches and staff are willing to look the other way or minimize these lapses in accountability and commitment when an athlete is performing at an elite level. When he’s not, that athlete is no longer accorded the same latitude.

This is where Dez Bryant finds himself. The upcoming meeting with Jones is about more than money. It’s about hitting the reset button on his relationship with the organization.

”This is one meeting Bryant can’t afford to skip.”

The Cowboys Played the Dez Bryant Situation All Wrong -Henry McKenna- The Big Lead
The Dallas Cowboys haven't gained anything with Dez Bryant by playing this thing out the way they have.

But with free agency essentially done, why would the Cowboys cut Bryant? They don’t have anything better to do with the money. His cap hit is $16.5 million, but the Cowboys would only recoup $8.5 million in cap space. Unless Dallas wants to avoid the optics of potentially overpaying Bryant for another season, they don’t have a reason to cut him.

Possible trade targets for Dez Bryant -Peter Dawson- Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Dez Bryant is meeting with owner Jerry Jones to decide the wide receiver's future with the team, could a trade be in the future?

One potential reason they might consider holding off on giving Bryant the boot is to explore trade options (if they’ve haven’t already been doing so). And the best time and place to do so is right here in Arlington at the NFL Draft, which will take place April 26-28 at AT&T Stadium.

Yes, the most logical course for a team interested in acquiring Bryant would be to wait until he gets cut and see whether he can be signed for far less than his current $16.5 million cap hit.

However, there are plenty of teams that are in need of a quality pass catcher and have plenty of cap room. If there’s a general manager out there who wants Bryant bad enough to keep him from hitting the market, it would probably take only a sixth- or seventh-round pick to do so.

Without Dez Bryant, is the Cowboys receiving corps good enough to compete in the NFC? | SportsDay Staff
The biggest question that needs to be asked is if the Cowboys even have a receiving corps that can perform if their best receiver is gone?

Broaddus: Well, the thing about it is, traditionally rookie wide receivers don’t come in and [make a huge impact]. I’ve talked about Allen Hurns being a similar type player to Dez Bryant when you look at the routes he runs, the catch radius, thinks like that. So [the Cowboys] have protected themselves in that regard. If they draft a receiver, it’s going to be a guy that’s going to have to come in, he’s going to have to develop, he’s going to have to fit in, they’re going to have to figure out ways [to get the job done].

I think it might be a lot for a rookie receiver to come in and [make that kind of impact], unless you’re that kid down in New Orleans [Michael Thomas] who came in and did very well. [The NFL] has had some receivers that have come in their first year and had some productivity, but to say lets put it all on a guy like Calvin Ridley or D.J. Moore I think is a large task initially.

Report: Cowboys hold private workout with LSU WR D.J. Chark -Ryan Ratty- Blogging The Boys
The latest evidence of the Cowboys pursuit of WRs is a private workout with LSU’s D.J. Chark.

Regardless, Chark is an intriguing prospect due to his size and athleticism. At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, Chark has a big frame who has the potential to put on mass and become a more finished product. To go along with his frame, Chark also has “wow” numbers like a 4.34 40-yard dash and 40-inch vertical.

There are issues with his route-running ability and how he will be able to win in the NFL, but Chark has the size, speed, athleticism, and jumping ability that NFL coaches cannot teach. Something to note about the possibility of losing Bryant is that the Cowboys will lose their main redzone target. The jump-ball connection between Bryant and Prescott has not consistently been there over the past two seasons. But still, Bryant is the Cowboys’ most aggressive receiver.

Possible Pick: How Tennessee’s Gaulden Offers Versatility In The Secondary -Rob Phillips- Dallas Cowboys
The Mothership's crew dissects the talented defensive back out of Tennessee, could he be on the Cowboys radar.

How He Helps The Cowboys:

Safety definitely could be an option for Dallas at some point in the draft. To this point in free agency they haven’t shown interest in safeties because of scheme fit. But Gaulden’s ability to cover – he played some slot for the Vols – could fill a need for the Cowboys in the secondary, especially if Byron Jones indeed moves back to corner. Some observers believe Gaulden could also play corner for some teams.

Star Evaluation: Tyron Smith’s Health Will Mean Everything To Cowboys’ Offense -David Helman- Dallas Cowboys
Will Tyron Smith bounce back and put some health concerns behind him?

The problem is that we’ve seen how bad the Cowboys can look without Smith, and we’ve seen it more often than we would prefer because of injuries. The problems first arose in 2016, when back issues forced him out of two games in the middle of the season. It wasn’t a big deal, as Chaz Green performed admirably in his place and he finished the season without further issues. But 2017 was a different story. Smith began to deal with problems as early on as training camp, and the problem was persistent enough that it forced him out of practice for long stretches of the season. When Smith eventually suffered a groin strain against Kansas City, that was enough. He missed the next two games, and the offense subsequently fell apart. The offensive line couldn’t protect Dak Prescott in lopsided losses to Atlanta and Philadelphia, and the Cowboys were never able to find their groove the rest of the way through the season.

Cowboys Mock Draft 8.0: What is the plan if Dallas releases Dez Bryant? -Michael Sisemore- Blogging The Boys
This mock will serve as the contingency plan should the Cowboys release the former All-Pro receiver.

As the first round begins, the Cowboys get a call from the Atlanta Falcons, they offer picks 26 + 90 + 126 (886 points) for picks 19 + 208 (882.8 points).

Pick 26 (From ATL): Cowboys select D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland (Brugler: 29th)

Analysis: If the Cowboys are without Dez, they need to pull the trigger on a wide receiver early. Moore is a personal favorite, he’s a guy that performed despite the quarterbacks, all eight of them, that were throwing him the ball. He’s built in the frame of what the new breed of receivers are becoming in the NFL.

It’s not all about the “X” receivers anymore with volume catching and yards after catch being just as important. What’s also important are players that create their own separation and have a vast understanding of the route tree. Moore can be a star in this league, being paired with a dominant rushing attack will lead to amazing opportunities for he and Dak Prescott.