Dez Bryant breaks silence on 'crazy' chance of playing with Eli Manning
Ever since the Dallas Cowboys decided to release veteran wide receiver Dez Bryant last week, there’s been rampant speculation regarding where he will play next season.
Four teams that some believe could show varying levels of interest in free-agent WR Dez Bryant:
*Arizona – Issue is little money left.
*Baltimore – Room even with Michael Crabtree.
*Buffalo – Wouldn’t be NFC East, but AFC East.
*Green Bay – A replacement for Jordy Nelson.— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 14, 2018
Bryant himself, somewhat perturbed at being cut, has indicated he’d like to join one of the Cowboys’ NFC East rivals, thus giving him the opportunity to face off against his old teammates twice a year.
The obvious choice would be the Washington Redskins, who have a brand new quarterback in Alex Smith and could definitely benefit from Bryant’s ability to make plays in the red zone.
But according to 247 Sports‘ Mike Fisher, the team Bryant seems most interested in playing for might be the New York Giants.
Fisher asked Bryant how he would feel about joining a variety of teams. When they reached the Giants, Bryant indicated that it would be “crazy” to play with quarterback Eli Manning and company.
“The Giants,” he said, “got a helluva defense, they’re going to pay OBJ (fellow wideout and pal Odell Beckham Jr.), so coming back. Playing with him, Sterling (Shepard) … the tight end (Evan Engram), (QB Eli) Manning? Crazy.”
Bryant noted that it would be similarly “crazy” if the Giants took Penn State running back Saquon Barkley with the second overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft.
The wide receiver’s words regarding the possibility of signing with New York prompted Fisher to assert that “regardless of what the Giants themselves want … this would be Dez Bryant’s No. 1 choice.”
As noted by ESPN, the Giants do seem to have plenty of solid wide receivers on the roster, including Shepard, Brandon Marshall and of course, Beckham. It’s also unclear if the Giants have the cap space to sign Bryant, thought the ex-Cowboy did say that his decision won’t be based off whichever team pays him the most.
It’s certainly intriguing to imagine a Giants team with both Beckham and Bryant. Neither wideout did anything particularly special last season (Beckham was hurt, Bryant had a down year), but still, both were selected to the Pro Bowl as recently as 2016.
Of course, having Beckham and Bryant on the roster might also be something of a headache.
The Giants are already having enough issues with Beckham, who’s unhappy with his current contract situation, so adding another controversial wide receiver into the mix might not be for the best.
At this point, there’s really no way to know where Bryant will play next year, but we do seem to have a good idea of where he won’t be.
When asked about the possibility of signing with the Green Bay Packers, Bryant responded that “it wouldn’t seem right” because there’s “too much history.”
Bryant’s Cowboys, for those who’ve forgotten, lost to the Packers three times in the recent years, with each defeat coming in excruciating fashion. Making matter worse, two of those losses were in the playoffs.
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