Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Prescott sad Bryant is gone, but is moving on
DALLAS — While speculation abounds regarding which Dallas Cowboys captains played a role in Dez Bryant’s departure as the receiver alluded to in an interview with the NFL Network on Friday, quarterback Dak Prescott denied any involvement and expressed sadness over the receiver’s departure.
“Obviously it’s sad news,” said Prescott, speaking at the Albertsons and Tom Thumb Dak Prescott Women’s Clinic at Parish Episcopal School on Saturday night. “That is a brother to me. Put the football stuff beyond you, what he meant to me as a person, what he meant to me as a brother, it’s tough to see him gone. It shows you it’s a business. It motivates me. And it puts all this in perspective. Just got to go to work.”
Prescott has already heard that Bryant pointed the finger at the team captains for playing a role in his departure.
“As much you want to say ‘yeah I want a say so,’ those guys get paid a lot more than me,” Prescott said. “That is what those guys are there to do. That is not my decision.”
“I am sure Bryant is hearing stuff,” Prescott continued. “I am sure he is getting it from a lot of different ways. So I am not going to finger point at anybody. I’m not going to get upset about who he is pointing at or who he thinks did this. As I said, it’s a business and that’s part of it.”
Prescott said Bryant will be missed and the Cowboys have to figure out how to replace him. But he said his focus is on getting better at his job.
“He was a great player,” Prescott said. “He did a lot of great things for us. He was a guy in man-to-man you go to. At this point, we got to figure that out with the guys we got. I am sure we are going to go after guys in the draft and free agency. Who knows? All I can do is to continue to get better at my job and do the best I can do.”
Free agent signees Allen Hurns and Deonte Thompson will be a big part of the team’s plans to replace Bryant, as will a receiver in the draft. The Cowboys are focused on taking one in the first or second round.
“We have thrown. I have thrown with Hurns,” Prescott said when asked about the new receivers. “Deonte is on his way. We have communicated. We will see. We will figure it out. Dez is going to be a hard guy to replace. He is a talented guy. So he will be missed.”
Prescott has been a part of a group of 50 Cowboys who have been working out on their own for the last two months. He is excited about today’s start of the offseason program as the Cowboys officially begin life without Bryant.