Official Dez Bryant (2 Viewers)

STEADYMOBBIN 22 said:

B-Deep said:

I wish i could get excited

i have just grown to dislike him

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How, why? I still worry his (Mother's) past comes back to haunt him but I think he's a football player. He apparently loves the game and works very hard at it. Nobody in the league not names Adrian Peterson is more of a bull in a china shop then Dez.

MONSTER needs a nickname.

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Faust said:

Dez Bryant: Michael Jordan told me to avoid trouble

By Dan Hanzus

Around the League Writer

Dez Bryant said last week that the presence of positive role models has played a role in his newly tranquil personal life.

Does Michael Jordan count as one of them?

The Dallas Cowboys wide receiver met the basketball legend at Jordan's birthday party during NBA All-Star Weekend in Houston. Bryant -- who recently signed a three-year contract with the Jordan Brand -- said the former Chicago Bulls star offered him a succinct bit of advice.

"The only thing he told me was 'stay out of trouble,' " Bryant said Tuesday, according to ESPNDallas.com. "Hearing it come from him ... He is a strong voice. His opinion matters."

As a gesture of responsibility, Bryant has opted not to touch any of his first-year salary from the Jordan Brand. The earnings will go into a bank and stay there for the time being.

With $1.6 million in Cowboys salary coming Bryant's way this season, we don't imagine he'll be eating at soup kitchens during this period of economic prudence.

Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.

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dhockster said:

Faust said:

Dez Bryant: Michael Jordan told me to avoid trouble

By Dan Hanzus

Around the League Writer

Dez Bryant said last week that the presence of positive role models has played a role in his newly tranquil personal life.

Does Michael Jordan count as one of them?

The Dallas Cowboys wide receiver met the basketball legend at Jordan's birthday party during NBA All-Star Weekend in Houston. Bryant -- who recently signed a three-year contract with the Jordan Brand -- said the former Chicago Bulls star offered him a succinct bit of advice.

"The only thing he told me was 'stay out of trouble,' " Bryant said Tuesday, according to ESPNDallas.com. "Hearing it come from him ... He is a strong voice. His opinion matters."

As a gesture of responsibility, Bryant has opted not to touch any of his first-year salary from the Jordan Brand. The earnings will go into a bank and stay there for the time being.

With $1.6 million in Cowboys salary coming Bryant's way this season, we don't imagine he'll be eating at soup kitchens during this period of economic prudence.

Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.

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Did he ever pay the $600,000 or so he owed for all the pre-NFL Jewelry?

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Dez Bryant, jeweler reach settlement

By Calvin Watkins | ESPNDallas.com

Updated: November 30, 2011, 11:40 PM ET

IRVING, Texas -- The civil lawsuit between Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant and a Colleyville, Texas, jeweler and ticket broker has been settled and the case dismissed, according to the player's lawyer, Texas State Sen. Royce West.

Eleow Hunt had sued Bryant for unpaid jewlery and tickets to sporting events and unpaid personal loans that collectively totaled in excess of $600,000, according to court records filed in Tarrant County.

Bryant, who was unavailable for comment, paid Hunt between $400,000 to $500,000. West would not disclose the actual figures of the settlement.

The lawsuit claimed that Bryant, who was a sophomore at Oklahoma State when the spending spree allegedly began, was supposed to repay Hunt when he signed either an NFL or promotional contract, whichever came first.

Beth Ann Blackwell, Hunt's attorney, did not respond to an email seeking comment.



Calvin Watkins covers the Cowboys for ESPNDallas.com.

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Faust said:

Dez Bryant: Michael Jordan told me to avoid trouble

By Dan Hanzus

Around the League Writer

Dez Bryant said last week that the presence of positive role models has played a role in his newly tranquil personal life.

Does Michael Jordan count as one of them?

The Dallas Cowboys wide receiver met the basketball legend at Jordan's birthday party during NBA All-Star Weekend in Houston. Bryant -- who recently signed a three-year contract with the Jordan Brand -- said the former Chicago Bulls star offered him a succinct bit of advice.

"The only thing he told me was 'stay out of trouble,' " Bryant said Tuesday, according to ESPNDallas.com. "Hearing it come from him ... He is a strong voice. His opinion matters."

As a gesture of responsibility, Bryant has opted not to touch any of his first-year salary from the Jordan Brand. The earnings will go into a bank and stay there for the time being.

With $1.6 million in Cowboys salary coming Bryant's way this season, we don't imagine he'll be eating at soup kitchens during this period of economic prudence.

Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.

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A source tells ESPN Dallas that the Jordan Brand will not pay Dez Bryant in the first year of their pact.
Michael Jordan wants Bryant to prove he can behave before paying him to endorse his brand. "The only thing he told me was 'stay out of trouble,'" Bryant said Tuesday. "Hearing it come from him ... He is a strong voice. His opinion matters." It's more motivation for Dez to keep his nose clean. So far, the supremely talented wideout has had a flawless offseason.


Source: ESPN Dallas

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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant on continued growth

02:34 – Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant discusses making strides on and off the field, and the state of his relationship with quarterback Tony Romo.

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donkshow said:

Everything is pointing to a season of greatness.

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KellysHeroes said:

donkshow said:

Everything is pointing to a season of greatness.

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at this point, his value is so high that it might be a good idea to move him.

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cstu said:

Whew...so glad I didn't say anything bad about Dez in this thread.

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JPeso said:

how do you look in the mirror trading him?????

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Dez Bryant is hoping his third season becomes the norm.

The Dallas Cowboys receiver, who struggled to stay healthy his first two seasons, was one of the league’s top receivers the final eight games of 2012. He has followed that up by being one of the team’s top performers this offseason.

“I think by me doing everything and going out there with the knowledge I have, you can say I’m more comfortable and confident as I have ever been,” Bryant said. “I am just fired up about this upcoming year.”

Bryant had 50 receptions for 879 yards and 10 touchdowns in the second half of last season, scoring at least once in nine of the last 10 games. He said earlier this offseason that he is capable of a 2,500-yard season.

“I know I just started playing football,” Bryant said. “I just started a long time ago just being Dez. I love this game. I felt like people needed to say that. I just went out there and gave it my all each and every play.”

Bryant was Kyle Orton’s go-to receiver Wednesday and dominated Morris Claiborne. Bryant made a highlight-reel, one-handed catch in the end zone, though officials ruled he was out of bounds.

“He’s an exciting football player. There’s no question about that,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “We’re really excited to have him on our team. The thing you love about Dez more than anything else is his passion for the game. He loves to play. He loves to go and get the football. Anybody that watches him practice each and every day or playing in games, you can see that. The big thing you have to do with him and all our players is keep the standard high.”

Bryant is working hard on his release. Garrett said Bryant had a bad release on a 50-yard touchdown catch in Tuesday’s practice, and Bryant himself noted that later.

“I am trying to find new ways to come off the ball,” Bryant said. “I come off the ball. I just want more than one release. So that’s what I am working on.”

-- Charean Williams

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By Rainer Sabin / Reporter

IRVING – Since the last phase of the Cowboys’ off-season program began last month, receiver Dez Bryant has stood out from the rest of the players on the roster.

He has routinely made difficult catches while toying with cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne, drawing praise from teammates and coaches alike as he has finished off one eye-popping play after the next. Although live contact is forbidden during the minicamp held this week, Bryant’s performance has been impressive.

“He loves to go and get the football,” head coach Jason Garrett said Wednesday. “Anybody that watches him practice each and every day or playing in games, you can see that. The big thing you have to do with him and all our players is keep the standard high.”

Bryant raised the bar for himself in 2012 when he had a breakout season, catching 92 passes, accumulating 1,382 receiving yards and scoring 12 touchdowns. Bryant’s production led to his inclusion on the NFL Network’s list of Top 100 players of 2013. The fourth-year veteran, who was ranked No. 35 by the voting panel, said his success, his firm grasp of the playbook and the improvement he’s made with his technique have allowed him to assert himself on the field.

“I think by me doing everything and going out there with the knowledge I have, you can say [i am] comfortable and confident as I have ever been,” Bryant said. “I am just fired up about this upcoming year.”

His actions in practice, where he has dazzled, speak to that even more so than his words.

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donkshow said:

I'm just going to say it.

WR1 this season.

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King of the Jungle said:

donkshow said:

I'm just going to say it.

WR1 this season.

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Agreed. The only concern for me is injury due to his kamakazee style of play. Dude is beast.

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By Gregg Rosenthal

Around The League Editor

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant made an enormous leap statistically during the 2012 season. It was rewarded with an equally huge bump in respect from his NFL colleagues.

Bryant was revealed Thursday night as the No. 35 player on NFL Network's "Top 100 Players of 2013." That comes only one season after Bryant didn't make the list at all. My first instinct was that we could be crowning Bryant too soon. And then I looked at the other wide receivers below him such as Roddy White, Wes Welker, Vincent Jackson and Victor Cruz; I have no problem placing Bryant ahead of them.

Dez (he's a one-name guy now, right?) broke out last year because he physically dominated opponents. As Around The League's Chris Wesseling mentioned, guys such as New Orleans Saints cornerback Patrick Robinson are probably still having nightmares about Bryant. The bigger question: How great can Dez be?

Dez Bryant's ceilingIt's scary that Bryant is so high on this list, and yet it feels like he's just scratching the surface of his potential. Still just 24, Bryant put up 1,382 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns despite having a long way to go on the finer points of the position. Bryant dropped 11 passes according to Pro Football Focus, tied for seventh worst in the NFL.

Bryant often appears to run the wrong route. It's common to see quarterback Tony Romo frustrated because Bryant isn't on the same page. But Bryant still dominated.

After a string of off-the-field problems, it appears Bryant has matured emotionally. No one has ever questioned his work ethic or desire to be great -- his competitiveness is off the charts.

"I'm trying to learn each and every day," Bryant said on the "NFL Top 100 Reaction Show."

"I know I got a long way to go. I'm still trying to strive to be the best, and one of these day I'll get there."

The mental side of the game should come in time, like it does for a lot of wide receivers. If that happens, Bryant has a real chance to compete with A.J. Green and Julio Jones as the best young receivers in football. Or the best receiver in the NFL, period. There is no ceiling.

The Cowboys were patient with Bryant, and he's rewarded them with steady progress. The next step should be a lot of fun to watch.

Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.

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By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com

IRVING, Texas – With Miles Austin getting a day of rest, it was an understatement to say Dez Bryant was the focal point of the Cowboys’ passing game Wednesday.

In the final team period, Bryant was targeted on seven straight pass plays, coming down with two catches and drawing two pass interference penalties before Jason Witten’s touchdown. Bryant nearly had a third grab but was ruled out of bounds after he made a left-handed snag of a Kyle Orton throw.Bryant was hoping for a little post-practice instant replay because he felt like he was inbounds on the throw.“I feel like I push myself to the max and I love it,” Bryant said. “Not only for me, but I want a lot of these younger guys to see how hard you’re supposed to work to play in this league, and also that’s how you win.”

“The thing you love about Dez more than anything else is his passion for the game,” coach Jason Garrett said. “He loves to play. He loves to go and get the football. Anybody that watches him practice each and every day or playing in games, you can see that. The big thing you have to do with him and all our players is keep the standard high. You don’t want to all the time being the guy patting him on back. ‘Hey, boy, that’s great. You’re the greatest.’ That’s not the world we live in.“A good example (Tuesday) in practice, he caught a long ball up the sidelines, but his release was really bad. He got pushed really wide and made the play at the end of it. So what we have to do as coaches is recognize the finish of the play. That’s a positive thing. It was a 50-yard gain. It was a touchdown. At the same time, we’ve got to get that release right. He understands that. He’s the guy when you’re watching the tape afterwards, he says, ‘That’s a bad release, coach. I’ve got to do a better job there.’ We’ve got to keep the standard high for him, really for all our players.”In one-on-one drills, Bryant was able to beat Morris Claiborne for touchdowns with the first coming over the top of the corner and the second on a slant.

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donkshow said:

King of the Jungle said:

donkshow said:

I'm just going to say it.

WR1 this season.

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Agreed. The only concern for me is injury due to his kamakazee style of play. Dude is beast.

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While it is a minor concern, Megatron is my only concern haha.

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JPeso said:

donkshow said:

King of the Jungle said:

donkshow said:

I'm just going to say it. WR1 this season.

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Agreed. The only concern for me is injury due to his kamakazee style of play. Dude is beast.

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While it is a minor concern, Megatron is my only concern haha.

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As much as I love Dez, I don't think he can top Calvin this year with TD normalization...WR2 on the other hand.. Calvin Johnson: 110 catches / 1800 yards / 12 TD = 410 PPR / 25.6 PPR PPGDez Bryant: 100 catches / 1500 yards / 14 TDs = 334 PPR / 21.3 PPR PPG

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JPeso said:

donkshow said:

King of the Jungle said:

donkshow said:

I'm just going to say it.

WR1 this season.

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Agreed. The only concern for me is injury due to his kamakazee style of play. Dude is beast.

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While it is a minor concern, Megatron is my only concern haha.

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As much as I love Dez, I don't think he can top Calvin this year with TD normalization...WR2 on the other hand..

Calvin Johnson: 110 catches / 1800 yards / 12 TD = 410 PPR / 25.6 PPR PPG

Dez Bryant: 100 catches / 1500 yards / 14 TDs = 334 PPR / 21.3 PPR PPG

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By Chris Wesseling

Around the League Writer

A more mature Dez Bryant insists he's finally "found himself" after a bumpy start to his NFL career. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and head coach Jason Garrett have noticed a change for the better as well.

After becoming just the seventh athlete to sign with Nike's Jordan Brand, Bryant credited the basketball legend for admonishing him to "stay out of trouble."

As it turns out, Bryant actually downplayed Michael Jordan's role in demonstrating professionalism. Bryant's longtime mentor David Wells revealed that Jordan and the once troubled wide receiver by phone twice a week and regularly exchange text messages. Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul has also taken Bryant under his wing.

"They almost treat him like a little brother," Wells told FOXSportsSouthwest.com. "Dez started listening to older people instead of the young guys. Those guys are both married and have stable lives. And that's something Dez craves."

Bryant is putting their example into action. Three years after igniting a controversy by refusing to carry Roy Williams' shoulder pads, Bryant has begun mentoring third-round draft pick Terrance Williams.

"That's one of the things that Michael Jordan preached to him," Wells said. "He wants him to develop as a leader."

Wells certainly paints a rosy picture of a re-invented, wholesome and happy Cowboys star. We can almost imagine Jordan and Bryant whiling away the afternoon hours in a winsome rowboat or tandem bicycle.

It won't mean a lick, though, if Bryant can't stay out of trouble while emerging as the team's most consistent offensive threat. He's at least off to an impressive start on the latter goal.

An "unstoppable" Bryant was the best player on the field in offseason practices, toying with the Cowboys cornerbacks. A 2,000-yard season may be a pipedream, but don't be surprised if Bryant finishes out 2013 as the primary threat to Calvin Johnson's mantle as the greatest receiver on the planet.

Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.

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donkshow said:

I'm just going to say it.

WR1 this season.

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3nOut said:

donkshow said:

I'm just going to say it.

WR1 this season.

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I've had Dez as my WR keeper (my league allows for only one keeper per position) since he was a rookie but traded him away this offseason since I was able to acquire Julio Jones last year. I figured I'd rather keep Julio and not worry about any off the field issues that Dez may encounter at any given time. Don't really need that headache. Don't get me wrong, I still love Dez as a WR1 but maybe not as high as he's being predicted. I can see top 5, but top 2 or 3 will be difficult, let alone 1. Witten had a great year last year WITHOUT the TDs. I think Witten's TDs will go up again this year. And Austin Miles was hampered with hamstring injuries last year and think he will also rebound slightly and dip into Dez's numbers. Also wondring if they get their rookie WR some looks as well.

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STEADYMOBBIN 22 said:

B-Deep said:

I wish i could get excited

i have just grown to dislike him

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How, why? I still worry his (Mother's) past comes back to haunt him but I think he's a football player. He apparently loves the game and works very hard at it. Nobody in the league not names Adrian Peterson is more of a bull in a china shop then Dez.

MONSTER needs a nickname.

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JPeso said:

donkshow said:

King of the Jungle said:

donkshow said:

I'm just going to say it.

WR1 this season.

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Agreed. The only concern for me is injury due to his kamakazee style of play. Dude is beast.

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While it is a minor concern, Megatron is my only concern haha.

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As much as I love Dez, I don't think he can top Calvin this year with TD normalization...WR2 on the other hand..

Calvin Johnson: 110 catches / 1800 yards / 12 TD = 410 PPR / 25.6 PPR PPG

Dez Bryant: 100 catches / 1500 yards / 14 TDs = 334 PPR / 21.3 PPR PPG

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openfieldahead said:

JPeso said:

donkshow said:

King of the Jungle said:

donkshow said:

I'm just going to say it.

WR1 this season.

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Agreed. The only concern for me is injury due to his kamakazee style of play. Dude is beast.

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While it is a minor concern, Megatron is my only concern haha.

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As much as I love Dez, I don't think he can top Calvin this year with TD normalization...WR2 on the other hand..

Calvin Johnson: 110 catches / 1800 yards / 12 TD = 410 PPR / 25.6 PPR PPG

Dez Bryant: 100 catches / 1500 yards / 14 TDs = 334 PPR / 21.3 PPR PPG

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Think the math should look something like this:

Calvin = 362 ppr

Dez = 334 ppr

Dez is going to be keeping some good company this year!

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Former Cowboys offensive linemen Nate Newton joined Fitzsimmons and Durrett on KESN-FM this week to talk about the team. Here are some highlights:

On Dez Bryant:

When I saw Dez, the first thing I noticed about him as he was walking out onto the field is that he was leaned out. Like somebody just took an eight-ounce glass of salt and poured it into his body and dried him out because Dez used to be buff, swolled out. And I shook his hand and said, “Dez, you look good. I’m serious, you are lean, you look like you are ready to run.” And from that point on, he jogged onto the field and he’s just been lighting guys up, taking advantage of everybody they’re putting in front of him, no matter if it’s double coverage, it don’t make a different. Dez is the best athlete on the field every time he steps onto the field at Dallas Cowboys training camp.

On if Dez is the best player the Cowboys have:

Easily. If anybody can change a game or take over a game, that’s Dez. Right now, Dez is the most dominant player that the Cowboys have. You take from that last eight games of last year, is it an argument of Dez and DeMarcus [Ware]? DeMarcus was hurt. Now, DeMarcus can be a dominant player, but Dez has got that oomph that comes with his dominance. He’s willing to get out there and thump his chest gorilla-style to make it happen.

On if he’ll be even better than he was at the end of last season:

It’s hard to tell until you get on the pads and start to see how the season plays out, because last year, the last eight games was tremendous. The dude was jumping out of the gym, as we say in basketball terms. Understand – Dez runs a 4.5 [40-yard dash]. He’s not a 4.4 guy, he’s not a 4.3 guy, but he’s got that knack of when the ball hits the air, he turns into a 4.3 guy. It reminds you of Jerry Rice. Jerry Rice ran a 4.5, 4.6.

On if Bryant’s route-running has improved:

Tremendously. I think [wide receivers] Coach [Derek] Dooley, they connected. He’s always challenging Dez to help make him a better player. Where Dez has grown is mentally. He’s always had the physical skills. He walked in as a rookie three or four years ago and was out of shape and killing dudes. It is no telling how far he can go this year, and if Miles [Austin] is healthy, and you got Dwayne Harris and Terrance Williams … if these guys show up and play and Dez keeps his mental state of mind, it’s going to be ugly.

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Aaron Hernandez's arrest on a murder charge and his subsequent release by the New England Patriots underscores the dilemma that NFL teams face in evaluating players with troubled backgrounds.

NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah recently estimated that NFL area scouts now devote 75 percent of their time to background and character research.

When push comes to shove, though, separating the wheat from the chaff is a guessing game. When queried about his philosophy on character evaluation, Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome once said, "I think gut feeling has a lot to do with it."

Before Dez Bryant's 2012 breakout season and newfound maturity, the Dallas Cowboys roundly were criticized for ignoring a laundry list of red flags trailing the troubled Oklahoma State star. In fact, former Cowboys scout Bryan Broaddus told KRLD-FM last week that Bryant had the worst background of any player he had ever seen coming out of college.

Bryant was raised by a single, often-absentee mother who spent 18 months in prison for selling crack cocaine. He grew up impoverished and without direction, which explains his "lack of life skills" and ignorance of basic adult responsibilities entering the NFL.

For all of the concern over Bryant's checkered background, he never had run afoul of the law for issues relating to drugs, alcohol or violence. Was he a neglected and undisciplined kid who would thrive with structure and tough love or a bad seed who would end up haunting the Cowboys?

The general rule is that prior behavior is a good indicator of future behavior. Those around the Cowboys always had praised Bryant for his hard work, good heart and love of football, but that didn't save the team's brass from a gnawing anxiety.

"That's the thing as a personnel guy," Broaddus explained. "You don't sleep at night. And when you wake up, you're thinking did he go off the reservation today. ... You're constantly worrying about players because they get put in terrible situations, sometimes by their own doing."

We've seen players such as Cris Carter, Randy Moss and Ray Lewis overcome early off-the-field issues to go on to Hall of Fame-caliber careers. We've also seen malcontents such as Terrell Owens and Jeff George stay out of legal trouble, only to sabotage their own coaching staffs and disrespect teammates. The trick is to avoid the players who combine the worst of both traits.

As the cases of Hernandez and Bryant illustrate, it's more art than science -- especially when the subjects at hand have yet to reach their 22nd birthday.

Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.

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ImTheScientist said:

I was completely wrong about him last season. He obvioulsy has always had the talent but he is a knucklehead.

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STEADYMOBBIN 22 said:

ImTheScientist said:

I was completely wrong about him last season. He obvioulsy has always had the talent but he is a knucklehead.

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But he isn't. He's not going to win a spelling bee but he's staying out of trouble and is basically a dumb jock. Fortunately for the Cowboys he's a horse.

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LegalAccording to Orlando-Orange County public records (case 48-2004-MM-012392-O), on Halloween 2004, while a student at UCF, Marshall was arrested in Orlando on charges of assault on a law enforcement officer, refusal to obey, disorderly conduct and resisting an officer.[68]

On January 1, 2007, Marshall was present at "The Shelter," a nightclub in Denver, Colorado, along with teammates Javon Walker and Darrent Williams. The trio was attending a birthday party held for and by New York Knicks forward Kenyon Martin. As the players were leaving the club in a limousine, Williams was fatally shot in the neck after an unknown assailant opened fire on the vehicle. Willie Clark was later charged with the murder.[69] Walker has stated in interviews that the shooter was likely a nightclub patron whose motive was retaliation after being involved in an altercation with Marshall's cousin earlier that night.[70][71]

On March 26, 2007, Marshall was arrested in the Highlands Ranch suburb of Denver on suspicion of domestic violence after his girlfriend reported that following a domestic dispute, Marshall prevented a taxi she was in from leaving his house.[72] Charges from the incident were later dismissed on May 25, 2007, after Marshall completed anger management counseling.[73]

In the early morning of October 22, 2007, Marshall was arrested in the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area at the intersection of 14th and Blake St. for driving under the influence of alcohol.[74] A trial was scheduled for September 16, but Marshall instead agreed to a plea bargain four days earlier; he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of driving while ability impaired.[75] He was sentenced to one-year probation and 24 hours of community service.

On June 12, 2008, Marshall was ticketed for an illegal lane change, then found to be without his license and proof of insurance.[76] The case was eventually dropped as part of a plea bargain for the October 22, 2007 driving incident involving alcohol.[75]

A September 17, 2008 article on CompleteColorado.com stated that the solicitor's office in Fulton County, Georgia filed misdemeanor battery charges on September 10 for an alleged incident on March 4, 2008, in Atlanta, Georgia. Marshall was booked on March 6, then released the next day after posting a $1,000 cash bond.[77] The case was assigned to Judge John Mather in Georgia state court.[78] On August 14, 2009, a jury in Atlanta found Marshall not guilty.[79]

On March 1, 2009, Marshall was arrested in Atlanta for disorderly conduct after allegedly being involved in a fight with his fiancee, Michi Nogami-Campbell. Marshall was released on a $300 bond.[80] The charges were dropped the following day.[81]

On April 23, 2011, Marshall was stabbed near his stomach by his wife, Michi Nogami-Marshall. He was taken to a hospital and was released two days later. He has since made a full recovery.[82][83]

It was later revealed by police that Marshall's wife did make a brief 911 call, but it only described an unspecified emergency and no mention of a stabbing ever took place. She is charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and is free on $7,500 bail.

In a South Florida Sun-Sentinel article published on July 30, 2011, it was revealed that Marshall was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder at Boston's McLean Hospital after his incident with Nogami-Campbell.[84] He is currently pursuing treatment for his mental illness and filming a documentary about his struggle.

On early Sunday, March 11, 2012, two days before his trade to the Bears, Marshall was accused of hitting a woman in the face at a New York club and being involved in a melee. The New York Post stated that Marshall, his wife and some friends were at Marquee when a brawl ensued, and Marshall punched the woman below her left eye, although he may have been attempting to hit the woman's friends.[85] The investigation later ended after a lack of evidence of Marshall's role in the incident.[86]

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Dez Bryant is already off to a hot start at Cowboys training camp.
Per ESPN Dallas, Bryant and Tony Romo "have incredible chemistry." Beat writer Calvin Watkins says the plays Dez has been making are "hard to describe," and colleague Tim MacMahon has described Bryant as "dominant." We'd expect nothing less from the insanely talented budding superstar as he gets set for his fourth NFL season. Finally sustaining maturity entering his prime at age 24, Bryant is poised for a special season. He's well worth a second-round fantasy pick.


Source: ESPN Dallas

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OXNARD, Calif. -- Gil Brandt was once the architect of the Dallas Cowboys and one of the gurus of modern scouting. And he has seen, Lord, thousands and thousands of training camp practices. So it takes a little something special to get him nearly jumping out of a golf cart in mid-July over an otherwise mundane session.

But a good 18 hours after Dez Bryant put on an exhibition on these practice fields, Bryant was still effusive in his praise when I ran into him Tuesday morning. "Did you see Dez yesterday?" he asked and then went on to detail each extraordinary turn of his body, his one-handed catches, his determination to get to the football. "He put on a show." Yes, this very well could be the season that Dez Bryant puts it all together. Wouldn't surprise me one bit.

With most NFL teams not yet even convened for camp, or perhaps just starting to gather their rookies, Bryant has already become the early story of the Cowboys' preseason. He is making plays at a ferocious level, and while I'm usually hesitant to make too much of any camp spectacle, especially this early in the process, it certainly seems as if Bryant is primed to join the elite at the wide receiver position.

"That's not a crazy thought at all," said Cowboys Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin, whose No. 88 Bryant wears and who has been watching camp this week. "I see him in joining that group."

For so long, we've known he has all the physical tools you could ever desire, but it was his propensity to associate with knuckleheads and get into (relatively minor) trouble and succumb to his immaturity that led him to fall to Dallas at 24th overall in the 2010 draft in the first place, and clearly he has had more than one misstep along the way to reach this point where he seems primed to true greatness.

No longer a man-child, he's simply at times a man among boys, and if he truly does have his mindset righted and primed to fully complement his 6-2, 222-pound frame, then it's hardly unfathomable that we could soon be mentioning him among the likes of Larry Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson (to say nothing of what he might cost as he enters the final year of his deal).

"Dez is definitely picking up where he left off last season," said receiver Anthony Armstrong, who worked out occasionally with him in the offseason and is often seen by his side coming off the practice field. "I stay on Dez every day and try to push him to push himself every day to get better and get rid of some of those bad habits to get him to that very top level. He is so talented, that everybody who plays receiver wishes they had his physique and speed. To actually be able to see that up close in person, you want to make sure he gets the most out of it."

And, perhaps more surprising than Bryant on the cusp of fulfilling his prodigious talent is the fact that the buzz around here is he's actually becoming one of the leaders of this football team, someone whose passion for the game in practice and development as a person is a cause for the Cowboys to rally around. He appears to have put behind him the occasional drops and mental mistakes that have plagued him, as well as his tendency to pick up nagging injuries.

"Dez is leading by how he's practicing," head coach Jason Garrett said. "He loves the game and he practices really hard and plays really hard, and that's infectious ... Dez is a very influential guy."

There was a perception that Bryant might have demons, or be a troubled soul. That's not who he is. He was immature and had some bad influences in his life, but Calvin Hill, a former star athlete himself and consultant in the team's player development program, is among those who have worked to help mentor him.

"He's a nice young man," said Hill, who isn't one to bestow false platitudes. "He's not a troubled guy. He's a joy to be around, and he's matured. The magnitude of the spotlight he was under was perhaps a little more intense than he initially thought it would be, but there's been a natural progression."

Hill compared Bryant's singular competitiveness to that of Irvin, Roger Staubach and Ray Lewis -- rarified stuff -- and believes he could be as dominant as any receiver in the game.

"It's his intrinsic passion for football that makes him do the right things and stay in line," Hill said. "He wants to play football for the Dallas Cowboys and he wants to be great, and he understands that to be considered great you have to play on a great team, and you're seeing that leadership.

"Lot's of guys hate to lose; he hurts to lose, and that's a quality that shows me leadership, and other people should hurt to lose. He competes every play. In that sense, he reminds me of Michael, competing every play, or whether just seeing who could throw the ball the farthest."

Bryant said: "Seriously, I don't like losing. At anything. I don't care if it's just a video game. I don't like losing. That's the fun of this game, competing against your teammates [at practice] and competing against the other team."

The sheer intensity with which Bryant is approaching his craft, to say nothing of his physicality (he has been tossing corners around with relative ease) has certainly grabbed the attention of the Cowboys' rookie class. His daily battles with veteran corners Brandon Carr and youngster Morris Claiborne have already become must-see stuff at this camp, and Garrett is emphasizing the one-on-one drills. ("It's a great battle," the coach said. "It's something we really promote.")

"Guys like him come around once in a blue moon," said rookie corner B.W. Webb, who is trying to match Bryant in the trash-talking department but stands no chance in a one-on-one grudge match at this point. "That's a ballplayer there, man. He's big, physical. Goes up for the ball. He's one of a kind.

"It's almost like when you are younger playing against older kids, and you just learn so much from that older kid that when you got to play kids your age, you are miles are miles ahead of them. I don't want to call myself a little kid, but going against somebody like that in practice, when you get to the game, there's not a whole lot of guys out there who are like him. You feel like you've kind of seen it all already."

Bryant's ascent reached new pinnacles in the second half of last season. With tight end Jason Witten off to a slow start and ailing, and former top receiver Miles Austin waning in production and also oft-injured, Bryant truly became the fulcrum of Dallas' offense. In the final eight games, he caught 50 balls (fourth among all NFL receivers), gained an NFL-best 17.6 yards per catch with a league-leading 10 touchdowns (four more than any other receiver), and 11 catches of 25 yards or more (again tops in the league).

"I wasn't paying attention to it, but after the season, there was a lot of hype about it," Bryant said of his second-half surge. "You just have to build off last year, keep staying focused, stay true to my game and just try to get better each and every day."

Bryant is still just entering his prime. Garrett believes with Romo so improvisational by nature, and Bryant being a natural to find openings when the play breaks down, the chemistry between the two is only beginning to flourish.

"I think it evolves every day, and hopefully it gets better," Garrett said. "They're both very instinctive players, and I think we've seen that from the start. Dez just has this knack for figuring out a way to get open. He has all these physical traits -- he's big, strong, physical, he's quick, he can run, he's got great body control.

"But he also has a great feel for the game. You watch him track a football, he just sees it. You ever see a great center fielder and he just understands where the ball is going -- he runs to the spot, he knows where the warning track is, he knows where the wall is and he just catches the ball easily? I think Dez has a lot of those traits. He just has really good instincts for the game."

If this keeps up, and this time a year from now, the story of Cowboys camp won't be Bryant's new leadership role or evolution, it will be how he handles being among the richest and most famous NFL players in the land. Few are more willing to pay big bucks like Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, and with Romo having just cashed in, and the Cowboys run game still a work in progress, Bryant stands to be singularly important to this club's playoff fortunes in 2013.

I like his chances to keep up the pace with which he ended 2012, both on and off the field.

"It just comes down to his consistency," Armstrong said. "Fewer negative plays between the good plays. He keeps putting those big plays together and he's going to be extremely dangerous and it's going to be a big season for him."

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Carl Eller said:

I think most of us would agree that Dez had a disappointing 2011 season, finishing with solid fantasy WR #2 numbers but not living up to the WR #1 hype a lot of us were buying. When watching Bryant he made quite a few eye popping plays that showed off his pure athletic ability, but as a fantasy owner I wanted more. My dynasty outlook on him soured as the season went on and I dealt him after the season was over. Now I'm starting to wonder if I sold him at his rock bottom. I do think I can get him back, but who/what is Dez? Is he a WR1? Looking back at the season, I do see several reasons why Dez didn't live up to my expectations: 1) His rookie year was his first of organized football in over 2 years. He was just getting his feet wet and becoming comfortable with his QB, then Romo goes down. Given the lockout, Dez then had a whole off-season of no organized football again and his chemistry again wasn't top notch with Romo. Sure this excuse can be used for everyone, but for some reason I view Dez as a type of player that would benefit extremely from a little bit of off-season structure. Something that has been lacking for him for the last 3 years. 2) The rise of Laurent Robinson took away from Dez's numbers. Laurent is a free agent and most likely will not be back with the Cowboys. 3) Dez's Quad injury at the beginning of the season lingered longer than most of us knew. Now I come all the way full circle. What is Dez? Should I be buying Dez low rather than selling him? Or is Dez just what he is.....a solid WR2 that will never live up to his talents?

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Carl Eller said:

Carl Eller said:

I think most of us would agree that Dez had a disappointing 2011 season, finishing with solid fantasy WR #2 numbers but not living up to the WR #1 hype a lot of us were buying. When watching Bryant he made quite a few eye popping plays that showed off his pure athletic ability, but as a fantasy owner I wanted more. My dynasty outlook on him soured as the season went on and I dealt him after the season was over. Now I'm starting to wonder if I sold him at his rock bottom. I do think I can get him back, but who/what is Dez? Is he a WR1? Looking back at the season, I do see several reasons why Dez didn't live up to my expectations: 1) His rookie year was his first of organized football in over 2 years. He was just getting his feet wet and becoming comfortable with his QB, then Romo goes down. Given the lockout, Dez then had a whole off-season of no organized football again and his chemistry again wasn't top notch with Romo. Sure this excuse can be used for everyone, but for some reason I view Dez as a type of player that would benefit extremely from a little bit of off-season structure. Something that has been lacking for him for the last 3 years. 2) The rise of Laurent Robinson took away from Dez's numbers. Laurent is a free agent and most likely will not be back with the Cowboys. 3) Dez's Quad injury at the beginning of the season lingered longer than most of us knew. Now I come all the way full circle. What is Dez? Should I be buying Dez low rather than selling him? Or is Dez just what he is.....a solid WR2 that will never live up to his talents?

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It's funny when I look back 1.5 years ago how confused I was on Dez. I think the majority of the folks on the board wouldn't touch him.......I traded for him back BTW and kept him. So happy I did, because he's what the #2 or #3 overall dynasty WR now?

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ghostguy123 said:

I think Dez takes a bit too much flack for smacking his mom around. Have any of you been raised by a crackhead prostitute?? I see enough of that where I work to know EXACTLY why he would have a volatile relationship with that kind of mama. I mean, it's one of those things where he is in the wrong..........but I totally understand it.

Anyway...................I am contemplating dealing Richardson for Dez in a 12 team PPR. Not sure I can bring myself to make the straight up offer though, was considering asking for Dez and Vereen.

Dez is about to blow up as much or more for the next 5 years as he did last year.

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