Baltimore Ravens: What the fit would look like for Dez Bryant

As of writing this, the Baltimore Ravens have not signed free agent wide receiver Dez Bryant, but that hasn’t stopped us from dreaming about his fit.

Dez Bryant has been linked to the Baltimore Ravens for several years now, dating all the way back to 2018 when Bryant was released by the Dallas Cowboys. It was reported several times that Baltimore laid out a contract for Bryant, which he declined ultimately and went to New Orleans on a cheap deal to be with the Saints. Bryant ruptured his Achilles tendon during his first practice with the team and never played a down in the Big Easy. He’s been out of football ever since.

Things have changed a lot since those times, and Bryant seems more determined than ever to get back onto the football field. Bryant has not been shy in saying that he wasn’t “mentally prepared” to have signed with the Ravens back in 2018. Since then, Bryant has been working in the shadows to remain in seemingly good shape and has been planning on a comeback. For Bryant, it seems like finding a team to take a chance on him has been his biggest obstacle now.

The Baltimore Ravens should be that team that takes the flier out on Dez Bryant.

Should the Ravens indeed add Dez Bryant to their receiving core, there would need to be some housecleaning. For starters, Bryant needs to know exactly what his role in this offense would be. At 31-years old, returning from a major injury, and being two years removed from the field, it should go without saying that Bryant’s role would be part-time at best. Bryant simply doesn’t have the speed or the separation skills he once had to be an outside threat. That’ll limit Bryant’s route tree and place him as a “big slot” regularly.

Where Dez Bryant will thrive is in the red-zone. Bryant has always been a touchdown machine, scoring 73 receiving touchdowns in an eight-year stretch with the Cowboys. Bryant has a knack for making “big-boy” plays against defensive backs. He’s got the killer instinct, or the “my ball” mentality, that you can’t teach. It doesn’t magically just disappear, either. This is where he separates himself from the rest of the pack.

As far as actually fitting on the team, he comes in with an argument to be the no.2 receiver across from Marquise Brown. On pure talent, Dez Bryant is superior to Willie Snead, Miles Boykin, and Chris Moore, while Devin Duvernay and James Proche are rookies and Jaleel Scott is sitting on the roster bubble. Bryant would come in as no worse than the third-best receiver on the team, only behind Brown and Snead.

The only awkward fit is that Dez Bryant may not find too much success as an outside receiver anymore and may be dutied to a “big slot” role. The vast majority of Baltimore’s receivers would be better off in the slot, so there will be a lot of rotation there. Thankfully, Bryant’s skillset will make him stand out from the competition and give him a chance to see time more often than not.

Oh yeah, and for anyone concerned that he’s still the “me first” drama queen he was in Dallas, Bryant has this to say to you:

That’s Dez Bryant going all-in on wanting to be a Baltimore Raven in 2020. Bryant isn’t naive, and he likely knows that his role wouldn’t be overly substantial, either. It’s a perfect fit.

Yes, the Baltimore Ravens are likely to retain their mantra of being a run-first, run-heavy offense, so Dez Bryant isn’t likely to see the biggest role in the world. Pegging him to catch 80 balls, cross the 1,000-yard threshold, and/or score double-digit touchdowns are outrageous expectations. What we could expect out of him is somewhere around 30 receptions for 400-500-yards and a handful of touchdowns, provided he’s at his best. It’s a low-risk, high-reward move that the Ravens should (hopefully) make before the season gets started.