FORMER COWBOYS WR BRYANT A WORTHWHILE RISK FOR SAINTS
We’ll find out soon if Dez Bryant has anything left as an NFL wide receiver. Probably, he does.
The NFL’s hottest team, the New Orleans Saints, is expected to sign the former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver on Thursday, according to NFL Network and ESPN. He has agreed to a oneyear deal, with compensation not immediately reported.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees is sure to target Bryant as soon as he’s ready to play — perhaps as early as this Sunday afternoon at Cincinnati, or at home next Sunday vs. defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia.
You might ask, “Why? Why would the Saints even go after Bryant, who carried the reputation in eight years as a Cowboy as a barely controlled hothead whose on-field happiness always was proportional to his frequency of being targeted?”
While the Saints passing attack seems to be as efficient as ever with Brees at the helm (if not as prolific, thanks to a powerful rushing attack), the fact is Michael Thomas has been the Saints’ only dangerous downfield receiver, after 12th-year speedster Ted Ginn was placed on IR last month.
Bryant, who turned 30 on Sunday, has played in 113 NFL games, catching 531 passes for 73 touchdowns.
It’s generally believed that Bryant’s production last season in Dallas fell off a cliff, but in fact he caught 69 passes for 838 yards and six touchdowns — nothing close to his high-water years of 2012-14 (when he annually averaged 91 catches for 1,312 yards and nearly 14 TDs), but those are good numbers for a No. 2 or 3 wideout. As long as Bryant is willing to accept such a less glamorous supporting role behind Thomas, he can help the Saints.
Bryant’s problem in recent years is that he struggles to separate himself from defensive backs.
The Saints have won seven straight games after opening the season with a 48-40 home-field loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. New Orleans’ victories over the past four weeks have been most impressive: vs. Washington, at Baltimore, at Minnesota and vs. the previously undefeated Los Angeles Rams.
Tough opponents lay ahead after the next two weeks, including the Cowboys in Dallas on U.S. Thanksgiving Day (welcome back, Dez), Dec. 17 at Carolina, Dec. 23 vs. Pittsburgh and Dec. 30 vs. Carolina to close the regular season.
Second-year Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis said Bryant is hardly washed up.
“That’s a great pickup for the Saints,” Lewis said, per the Dallas Morning News. “He has a lot of football left in him. A lot of people think he can’t play ( but) he has a lot of juice in him. That’s a great weapon for Drew Brees and that offence. They’re already loaded.”
DARNOLD OUT?
Rookie New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold was seen wearing a boot, only observing and not partaking in quarterback drills at Wednesday’s practice.
The New York Daily News reported Darnold suffered a “significant” sprain of his right foot this past Sunday in Miami, and is not expected to play this Sunday against the visiting Buffalo Bills.
Josh McCown, 39, would start in his stead.
Darnold’s injury is considered week-to-week, ESPN reported.
The 21-year-old threw four interceptions in the 13-6 loss to the Dolphins. Over New York’s past three games, all losses, Darnold has thrown seven picks against just two touchdowns, and his completion percentage in those games was a miserable 47 per cent.
McCown, who entered the NFL in 2002 with Arizona, started 13 games for the Jets last season and completed 67 per cent of his passes for 18 TDs, against nine interceptions.
IRVIN A FALCON
After clearing waivers over the weekend, former Seattle and Oakland edge-rushing linebacker Bruce Irvin signed Wednesday with the Atlanta Falcons, but only for 2018.
According to NFL Network, the Falcons will pay Irvin a US$ 3.2million salary, pro-rated over the season’s final eight weeks.
The Raiders under new head coach Jon Gruden wound up using the seventh-year player infrequently this season, before letting him go on Saturday. Gruden attributed that to Irvin’s ill fit; he’s a 3-4 base-formation edge rusher and Oakland employs a base 4-3.
Irvin told ESPN that New England and Pittsburgh offered him more money. Why would he take less from the Falcons?
Surely in part because the defensive co-ordinator for two of his four seasons in Seattle (201314) was Dan Quinn, the Falcons head coach since 2015, who employs a 3-4 defence.
But Irvin told ESPN the primary reason he signed with the Falcons is “this was a dream (come) true.” Irvin is an Atlanta native.
“The Patriots and Steelers offered more money but being able to play for my city and my people — you just can’t put a price on that,” he said.
It’s a good pickup by the Falcons, who are 4-4 after a 1-4 start.
EXTRA POINTS
Holdout RB Le’Veon Bell now has less than a week — until Tuesday at 4 p.m. EST — to report to the Pittsburgh Steelers and sign his franchise tag, otherwise he’ll forfeit the ability to play in the NFL this season.