Great wide receivers don’t come around all too often and when you get one these days, you pray you have the tools offensively to take advantage of their talent. From all indications of what we saw last year, the Dallas Cowboys are loaded offensively and have talented players at several positions. There’s a new sheriff at WR in town and it’s not Reggie Hammond. You can call him DEZ, DEZ BRYANT.
The Dallas Cowboys have a long history of great wide receivers. Go all the way back to Bob Hayes, Lance Rentzel, Drew Pearson, Lance Alworth, Tony Hill, & Michael Irvin. Not all HOF’s, but more than one should be. Tony Romo and company were tickled to death that Miles Austin blossomed into a very good and dangerous wide receiver. Here’s hoping he’s not a one year flash in the pan. I don’t think so. Austin has the gift of speed and makes big plays when you need them. That stuff is unteachable. You either got it or you don’t.
As good as Miles Austin looks to be, the WR on the other side for Dallas remains a mystery with Roy Williams. Who is this guy? What is he? Is he a player? A play maker? Does he do anything spectacular? Nobody knows, not even Roy. In the few years he’s been in Dallas, the fans, coaches and my guess, teammates are getting antsy. Is Roy Williams ever going to step up and be the player they gave away the farm for? I don’t know. I don’t think anyone on the Cowboys staff has a clue. But I will tell you they are done waiting around to find out. Enter the man known simply as DEZ.
Dez Bryant was a standout WR and special teams return man at Oklahoma State. When Dez Bryant got his hands on the football, special things would happen. He has the uncanny ability to make a spectacular play out of something simple. Bryant can take a normal quick post route into sixty yard touchdown run. He can take a bubble screen and not only break tackles, but run away from defenders. I’m talking RUN AWAY! He can take a punt return the distance from anywhere on the field. He’s big, strong, fast, and incredibly gifted. Dez has the ability to be an unbelievable WR in the NFL. More importantly for the Dallas Cowboys, he’s got the chance to make a huge impact in his rookie season. My guess is it won’t be his choosing either. Dez will force his way onto the field by his big play ability.
Big, strong and fast receivers are not easy to find. Well, you can find them, but most can’t perform at an NFL level. Michael Irvin did it all in college at Miami and kept right on going in the NFL with the Cowboys. If anything, Irvin got better in the pro’s and is now a member of the Hall of Fame. On the field, the playmaker was exactly that. He demanded the ball on every play. Trust me, ask Troy Aikman. Hell, on third and one situations, Irvin was screaming for the ball. He had to be reminded that there was some dude named Emmit Smith who got it on third and one. Irvin would shut up for a play. One play!
Roy Williams was a standout in college at Texas making several big plays and catches during his college years. When drafted by the Lions, big things were expected from Roy. He put up some numbers in Detroit and for some, the numbers were pretty good. Okay, that was Detroit, now your in Dallas. Where is the talent and ability most have been waiting for? Still waiting for…and if he doesn’t get his act together early in the season, Roy Williams will be out the door and looking for another gig. Jerry Jones and his crew are tired of waiting and Williams knows this is his last shot to make it happen with the Dallas Cowboys.
So in steps the rookie DEZ BRYANT. Can he do it? Can he handle the pressure that Williams has never been able to? Dez has all the tools, skills, strength, speed, and will get to play early and often. So, I ask you the question again. Will DEZ BRYANT be Roy Williams or Michael Irvin? Only time will tell, but I’ve got a sneaky suspicion that DEZ will be more like Mike. He is wearing number #88 you know.
