Baltimore Ravens: Is signing Dez Bryant an option again?

It wasn’t long ago that Dez Bryant was one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. Could the Baltimore Ravens sign him during this year’s Free Agency period?

In 2018, former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant was the main attraction of Free Agency that no one wanted to sign. Despite his skill-set and youth (Bryant was just 29-years old during this process), no team expressed a large interest in signing the former three-time Pro Bowl receiver. Yet that didn’t stop everyone from talking about him nonstop and linking him to tons of NFL franchises in need of wide receiver help.

In fact, one of the teams who actually did take an interest were the Baltimore Ravens; a team that Bryant reportedly shutdown during contract talks. One year later, the narrative may have changed just a bit.

Now, the Ravens are without two of their free agent signings from last off-season, John Brown and Michael Crabtree, the latter of whom was recently cut by the team. With Willie Snead as the only viable receiver on the team currently, the Ravens are desperately in need of wide receiver help. On the flip-side, Dez Bryant is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon he suffered in November. Bryant is once again a unrestricted free agent, and the Baltimore Ravens could use a wide receiver. Is the timing finally right for this pairing?

Dez Bryant could’ve scored a long-term deal with Baltimore last off-season, as it was believed he was offered a contract in the ballpark of what Michael Crabtree received (three-years $21 million). Bryant decided to bet on himself instead, however, and inked a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints, who appeared to be Super Bowl bound. Bryant tore his Achilles just two days after signing, and now it appears he’s back on the market for perhaps an even smaller contract.

The Baltimore Ravens may still feel burned from last year’s talks, but now is the best chance to catch lightning in a bottle. Nabbing Bryant now to such a small deal presents an incredibly low-risk signing with great upside. Bryant is no longer a 1,000-yard double-digit touchdown kind of guy, but if he could give you anything better than what Crabtree gave the team in 2018, that’s a huge win!

For Bryant, the Ravens are a surprisingly competitive team and could legitimately make a run this year. Bryant would get a chance to be a strong mentor for Lamar Jackson and perhaps make a difference for this team at the wide receiver spot. And who knows? Maybe Bryant could win a ring with the Ravens.

Even if Bryant is significantly slowed by injuries, the Ravens have the opportunity to get themselves a winner at wide receiver. Sure, Dez Bryant could prove to be no-more effective than Michael Crabtree was, but he’d come at such a smaller cost! This deal could be a win-win for both parties, and the Baltimore Ravens and Dez Bryant should come to this realization sooner rather than later.