Dez Bryant had a good visit with the Browns, but he left Cleveland without a deal. Apparently, his asking price is too high for John Dorsey and company.
When Dez Bryant made the decision to head to Ohio to visit the Browns, it seemed like a deal between the two sides was inevitable. Things with Bryant are never that simple, though. Instead of inking a deal with Cleveland, the controversial receiver left town still in search of a new team.
The reasoning for Bryant’s continued free agency is pretty simple. Bryant’s contract demands were reportedly too high for the Browns’ liking. The former Cowboys wideout continues to search for a team that’s willing to hand him a one-year, incentive laden deal that will allow him to get back on the market next year.
Whether John Dorsey’s issue was over the money or the flexibility that sort of deal would’ve allowed Bryant, it’s obvious that the odds of the receiver signing with the Browns have dropped dramatically. Sources in Cleveland claim the organization isn’t expected to sign him any time soon. Presumably, Bryant will continue to search for other teams in the meantime.
Team officials insist the return of Josh Gordon to the team didn’t impact Bryant’s possible signing in the slightest. That’s pretty hard to believe. At the very least, having Gordon back into the fold lessened the team’s need to sign another wide receiver immediately. Gordon’s return certainly lessened the amount of pressure Bryant could put on the Browns to meet his demands.
The question for Bryant now becomes whether or not any other teams still have legitimate interest in his services. The Ravens made a firm offer to him earlier in the offseason, but it’s unclear whether or not Baltimore would still be interested in bringing him in at this stage of the preseason. The much more likely scenario is that Bryant will need to wait for a team to suffer a key injury at wide receiver before he can find a new home.
From the Browns’ perspective, head coach Hue Jackson has the right idea when he says he can only worry about the players that are currently a part of his team. It’s his job to get the offense ready to score points without the addition of Bryant. There’s still plenty of talent at receiver on the current roster for this team to move the football consistently through the air.