Heading into April’s NFL draft, the scouting report on Dez Bryant read something like this: Great talent, but has immaturity issues that could lead to problems at the next level.
But thus far, the reports out of Dallas on Bryant have been outstanding – so much so that one would think the Cowboys just drafted the second coming of Michael Irvin.
Late last week, Bryant signed a five-year, $11.8 million contract, which included $8.3 million guaranteed. He was the first player selected in the first round to agree to a deal with his team, which is ironic considering some in the media thought he might wind up being the next Michael Crabtree in terms of rookie wide receiver that held out.
To his credit, Bryant hasn’t been a distraction, a diva or anything outside of impressive so far in Dallas. Granted, he only has a couple of OTA sessions and one training camp weekend under his belt, but it’s hard not to fall in love with his potential. In fact, his practice performances over the weekend were reportedly “electrifying” according to the Dallas Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The paper says he was making one-handed catches along the sidelines and was praised by his coaching staff and teammates.
Of course, Bryant still has a long ways to go in order to prove himself both on and off the field. The concerns about him coming out of Oklahoma State didn’t emerge out of thin air and he could still wind up being a headache for the Cowboys over the long-term. But considering the biggest complaint about him so far has been over his refusal to carry Roy Williams shoulder pads after practice, his NFL career is off to a great start. (Besides, Williams is stealing money from the Cowboys anyway so he should have to carry his own damn pads.)
