Dez Bryant is an easy name to attach to the Houston Texans in the wake of Will Fuller’s torn ACL, but there are better options out there.
The Houston Texans extended their winning streak to five games on Thursday night, but losing wide receiver Will Fuller to a torn right ACL was a buzzkill. Fuller’s absence will be significant for the Texans’ offense, and among available wide receivers Dez Bryant stands out.
The Texans may have had interest in Bryant right after he was cut by the Dallas Cowboys. But his asking price seems to have limited the number of suitors. At this point, he’s in line to sit out the season, as the signs of decline he has shown in recent years may not be worth the trouble for teams who are concerned how his personality would fit in.
According to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle, the Texans aren’t expected to pursue Bryant in the wake of Fuller’s season-ending injury. He shares a high school alma mater with and has apparently been a mentor for Texans wide receiver Keke Coutee, but that looks to be as close as Bryant will get to anyone in the organization.
The Texans immediately started to look outside the organization for wide receiver help, as they had a workout with another former Cowboys wide receiver in Brice Butler. That alone might speak to Bryant’s diminished stock since Butler was cut by the Arizona Cardinals at final roster cuts before a brief stint back with the Cowboys and being released this past week. Terrelle Pryor is also available, but the New York Jets may circle back to him quickly.
Fuller’s injury occurred just five days before the trade deadline, but the Texans could look to that route too. Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, DeVante Parker, Larry Fitzgerald are some of the notable names on that front, though the price for wide receivers on the trade market might be inflated after the Cowboys gave a first-round pick to the Raiders for Amari Cooper.
The Texans seem sure to add a wide receiver soon, one way or another. Bryant is a big name, but without that, he doesn’t stand out among the available options.