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Dez Bryant to New Orleans - What are you expecting? (1 Viewer)

I fully expect him to be “meh” on a weekly basis. Boom or bust, TD-dependent. 

I also expect him to whine and cry & basically just annoy the piss out of Brees on a weekly basis, complaining about how open he was every single play. It’s in his nature. 

This is a weird signing, IMO, and could have devastating chemistry ramifications. 

As for results, if he averages more than 3/40/.3 I’ll be shocked. 

 
dcgangstas said:
Dez can't really separate anymore from press coverage.   He is (or was) still very physical, so I'd expect him to be a possession WR taking coverage in the middle of the field.    Bryant's skills have declined, so I don't expect a lot.   
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Exactly. He hasn’t been able to separate for a couple of seasons now. 

And for a dude with his size/wingspan it’s almost weird that he can’t win the 50-50 balls Dak used to throw up for him against much smaller DBs. 

Also, I doubt Brees will throw up many (or uh, any) of those type of 50-50 balls, because that’s not really Brees’  MO. He’s more the dude that makes 3-4-5-6 reads & finds the open man, and the Saints usually have dump off options at the ready in Kamara or a TE.

 
Joe Bryant said:
I wondered that too. But don't you trust Payton? I'm sure Brees had a lot of input on this as well, right?
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That’s because Brees hasn’t had a vocal, insistent Dez Bryant in his face on the sidelines demanding the ball & claiming he was open (lather, rinse, repeat)

That kinda fiery competitiveness might play for an elite WR, but at this stage in Dez career I imagine it’s quite grating.  

 
Doug B said:
Feel free to believe it or don't. I find it very easy to believe that not all talks between his agent and teams go public. Your mileage may vary.
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I choose to not believe it. If Bryant received an offer from any team prior to this he would be playing for that team. 

He even tweeted he had an offer a while back, and when people pointed out that wasn’t true he said (Oct 3rd) he’d love to play for Dallas again & Jerry said “no thanks”. 

That was all very public, and yet I’m expected to believe he turned down “private” offers? 

Nope. 

 
I have absolutely no idea how this signing makes sense.  New Orleans needs a big physical receiver who can work the middle of the field, snatch the ball, and be a physical mismatch against corners.  Oh wait, THEY ALREADY HAVE THAT GUY in Michael Thomas.  So what exactly is Dez's role going to be?  He does not have the speed to take the top off the defense and open up the middle, so he doesn't replace Ginn's role.  Check downs go to the backs.  I am really, really puzzled by this signing.  Don't see how it strategically helps the Saints at all.  Very low expectations.

 
efactor said:
While Cooks is a good receiver, he isn't great at being physical and a 50/50 guy, which is probably why NE got rid of him and traded for Gordon.  
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 Neither is Dez - his last year in DAL in every game topic that subject came up - that in addition to having lost several steps of speed & lacking separation, he consistently failed to win the 50-50 balls against much smaller, less physically imposing DBs.  

 
pinequick said:
I have absolutely no idea how this signing makes sense.  New Orleans needs a big physical receiver who can work the middle of the field, snatch the ball, and be a physical mismatch against corners.  Oh wait, THEY ALREADY HAVE THAT GUY in Michael Thomas.  So what exactly is Dez's role going to be?  He does not have the speed to take the top off the defense and open up the middle, so he doesn't replace Ginn's role.  Check downs go to the backs.  I am really, really puzzled by this signing.  Don't see how it strategically helps the Saints at all.  Very low expectations.
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If anything he’s the exact same receiver as Hill or Watson, or any other big slow lumbering TE, though to be fair he’s bigger and slower than both.  :shrug:

 
Hot Sauce Guy said:
If anything he’s the exact same receiver as Hill or Watson, or any other big slow lumbering TE, though to be fair he’s bigger and slower than both.  :shrug:
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That's sort of what I was thinking, "The only thing left is a hybrid-TE type role."  But wouldn't that be a dead giveaway every time he was in the game?  "Oh, they're passing."  Dez is a physical receiver and a willing blocker... for a WR.  But as an in-line blocker on the line of scrimmage???  Color me dubious.  Again, really perplexed by this signing.  We had a guy in one of my leagues already sprint to the waiver wire this afternoon.  I snickered.

(Truth in advertising:  I am a Cowboys fan and owned Dez on my dynasty team for years--I really like him.  I just think he is washed up).

 
When you lack the ability to gain separation, it doesn't matter how motivated you are or how "fresh" your legs are.

At this moment in time,  this is the narrative for Dez Bryant.

 
We had a guy in one of my leagues already sprint to the waiver wire this afternoon.  I snickered.
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No one claimed him in either of my leagues. 

In one league around 3:00 today someone added him clearly as a lotto ticket (several IR’d bench players - clearly an “oh what the hell” add. 

The other league he remains a FA. As well he should. 

This has “Brandon Marshall in Seattle 2.0” written all over it. 

Ironically, Marshall also worked out for the Saints, and it occurred to me that we’d all be having the exact same discussion about Marshall if the Saints had signed him instead. 

Tell me I’m wrong . ;)  

 
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Casting Couch said:
When you lack the ability to gain separation, it doesn't matter how motivated you are or how "fresh" your legs are.

At this moment in time,  this is the narrative for Dez Bryant.
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I believe it’s the correct narrative.

he was reportedly fresh & motivated his last year in Dallas. All the talk from Dez was how motivated he was. All the talks from the team about how fresh he was. 

and he was terrible. 

 
I am a Saints homer so I picked him up with hopes he maybe could fill my 3rd WR spot in a league that starts 3 WR's and a RB/WR/TE flex spot. I'll leave him on my bench and see what happens. People were picking up Tre'quan Smith for the same reason really. Who knows really at this point. Im betting he still has a little gas in his tank and can put up some good numbers. I don't blame Sean Payton for gambling here. I don't know what we paid to get him though lol. Press is eating this stuff up and most are very positive. Hard to find many reports that this is a bad fit. 

 
I'll make two comments here.

First, I think this is very telling of what the Saints think about every WR NOT name Thomas.  Though it seemed Smith had great opportunity with Ginn going down for the year, I would say his and Meredith's stock are at an all time low.

Second, as a massive Cowboys fan and Dallas native who has watched every game for as long as I can remember, be careful giving up on Bryant before he gets started.  It bears noting that his "ability" took a nose dive when he transitioned from a QB who could make every through to one who is quite obviously limited.  I am no Dez-apologist, and I recognize he has his fair share of limitations (mental, route running, etc). But his athletic ability is definitely not one of them.  I don't think he'll set the world on fire, but I think he has a great opportunity to be a very serviceable WR that will at least offer bye week coverage and at most finish as a WR2-3 in this pass happy offense.  Not bad for a mid-season waiver wire acquisition.

I'm sure I'll get lit up for this opinion, but it is my opinion.

 
lsufan said:
I am a Saints homer so I picked him up with hopes he maybe could fill my 3rd WR spot in a league that starts 3 WR's and a RB/WR/TE flex spot. I'll leave him on my bench and see what happens. People were picking up Tre'quan Smith for the same reason really. Who knows really at this point. Im betting he still has a little gas in his tank and can put up some good numbers. I don't blame Sean Payton for gambling here. I don't know what we paid to get him though lol. Press is eating this stuff up and most are very positive. Hard to find many reports that this is a bad fit. 
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Regarding the border, that’s not exactly correct.

People were picking up Smith for the upside of an up & coming WR with game-breaking talent in a potentially high powered offense. 

Smith is not the same as Dez. Up & comer vs retread. 

Hey, maybe Dez will be a world beater & people will throw all these quotes from today in my face later.  I give it maybe a 5% chance he’s WR3 worthy for FFB purposes.

I can live with those odds. 

Meanwhile outside of magical football, Dez will likely take away a LB or S, which opens o the offense for other Saints WRs, so if that holds true he’ll help NOS. 

And he used to be a pretty good blocker, even towards the end of his DAL tenure, so that could help the run game.  :shrug:

 
aggie_dave said:
I'll make two comments here.

First, I think this is very telling of what the Saints think about every WR NOT name Thomas.  Though it seemed Smith had great opportunity with Ginn going down for the year, I would say his and Meredith's stock are at an all time low.

Second, as a massive Cowboys fan and Dallas native who has watched every game for as long as I can remember, be careful giving up on Bryant before he gets started.  It bears noting that his "ability" took a nose dive when he transitioned from a QB who could make every through to one who is quite obviously limited.  I am no Dez-apologist, and I recognize he has his fair share of limitations (mental, route running, etc). But his athletic ability is definitely not one of them.  I don't think he'll set the world on fire, but I think he has a great opportunity to be a very serviceable WR that will at least offer bye week coverage and at most finish as a WR2-3 in this pass happy offense.  Not bad for a mid-season waiver wire acquisition.

I'm sure I'll get lit up for this opinion, but it is my opinion.
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Not gonna light you up for it, but who exactly is the “QB who could make every throw”? ? 

you may not be a Dez apologist, but you sure sound like a Romo apologist with that comme t. :)  

 
Too many mouths to feed to count on anything from Dez.

Yeah, he will probly score a Td or 2, good luck guessing when

Not to mention Payton INSISTS on bringing in Taysom Hill every time they get inside the RZ for some  strange reason

Pass

 
Hot Sauce Guy said:
I fully expect him to be “meh” on a weekly basis. Boom or bust, TD-dependent. 

I also expect him to whine and cry & basically just annoy the piss out of Brees on a weekly basis, complaining about how open he was every single play. It’s in his nature. 

This is a weird signing, IMO, and could have devastating chemistry ramifications. 

As for results, if he averages more than 3/40/.3 I’ll be shocked. 
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I can’t see this happening at all.  Guy is playing for a contract next year.  Sure maybe dez is that stupid, but I doubt it 

 
jerry jones said:
I pretty much just stashed him as protection against losing Michael Thomas, if he goes down with an injury I would expect Dez to be able to step in as a veteran and talented receiver 
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I picked him off the waiver wire last night for the same reason.

 
Hot Sauce Guy said:
Because Brandon Cooks wasn’t that guy?  :whistle:
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Come on HSG, sure Cooks is having a fine season in LA and he's a great receiver overall but that simply isn't his game. He's not a physical, outmuscle, out jump, out fight you for the ball WR. He's quick, shifty WR who creates separation, works great in space and can outright blow past you.

You clearly don't like Dez, which is fine because he's polarizing and none of us knows if he has anything left but don't let that jade your objectivity.

 
Shawnky said:
They've  done better the last two years without him than they did the previous two years with him.
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Which is super weird. 

It is also mot necessarily causal in nature. 

They didn’t have Cooks. | They did better. 

These things can be mutually exclusive. Cooks looks amazing in LA. I bet the Saints could use him more than Dez right now. I also bet they’d be WAY better with Cooks than with Dez right now. 

 
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Chaka said:
Come on HSG, sure Cooks is having a fine season in LA and he's a great receiver overall but that simply isn't his game. He's not a physical, outmuscle, out jump, out fight you for the ball WR. He's quick, shifty WR who creates separation, works great in space and can outright blow past you.

You clearly don't like Dez, which is fine because he's polarizing and none of us knows if he has anything left but don't let that jade your objectivity.
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Never said they had the same skill set. 

I was responding to the statement that they needed a receiver across from Thomas as a “perfect #2”. I don’t see Dez as that at all. Maybe in his prime. But that train has sailed. 

i have zero bias against Dez Bryant. I wasn’t a big fan of him, but I don’t dislike him as a person. 

What I have are eyes that saw what Dez did the last year he was with Dallas. He seemed to complain.....a lot. And he had oven mitts for hands. He failed to win the 50-50 balls and he rarely got separation. He also didn’t seem particularly interested in going over the midldle,  but that may be my anecdotal impression of him rather than a statistical fact (I didn’t watch his every game) 

I’m not rooting against Dez. I just think he’s done - he’s too slow and just isn’t good enough to do the things he used to be good enough to do. Smaller defenders were easily covering him. And sure, he went from Romo to Dak, but it’s not like Romo was lighting it up at the end either & Dak was productive. 

Sometimes WR: fall off a cliff production-wise. It happens. 

if I’m wrong I’ll happily eat crow. 

 
I like the move.  Dez was never a guy who really ran routes anyways (at least that was not his strength).  

Dez is a guy who can go up and get the ball.  He is going to face #2 CBs for the first time in his career.  Brees (like Romo) is good enough to throw Dez open (and Dez had his best years with Romo).  

It all depends on how Dez plays as far as where it goes.  If he is 2015 Dez, he will split targets with Thomas.  If he is 2017 Dez, he will split targets with Smith.  But either way, I see him getting some red zone looks.  Think Jimmy Graham.   

 
Hairy Snowman said:
Dez is a guy who can go up and get the ball.  He is going to face #2 CBs for the first time in his career.
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Opposing defenses have typically been shadowing Kamara with a CB, as well. There will be a lot of things plays where Dez is matched with a nickel corner.

 
Hot Sauce Guy said:
No one claimed him in either of my leagues. 

In one league around 3:00 today someone added him clearly as a lotto ticket (several IR’d bench players - clearly an “oh what the hell” add. 

The other league he remains a FA. As well he should. 

This has “Brandon Marshall in Seattle 2.0” written all over it. 

Ironically, Marshall also worked out for the Saints, and it occurred to me that we’d all be having the exact same discussion about Marshall if the Saints had signed him instead. 

Tell me I’m wrong . ;)  
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Ehhh.. fairly different. One has created a bit of mystique by being an FA this season/off season. With the other we'd be saying "Well if he couldn't establish himself in Seattle in the vacuum created by their WR turnover, he's probably done". 

 
Can anyone remember an instance  when an unsigned, off the street free agent stepped in after missing half the season and made any sort of fantasy impact? I am asking because I can’t think of any. 

 
dipandglide said:
Hell no he isn’t that guy. Why do you think NE dumped him and were quick to sign Gordon? 
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This is not an accurate assessment of Cooks IMO.  NO & NE both needed a "physical WR" to win the jump balls and be a dominant presence in the middle.  Cooks is not that skill set...  That is more AJ Green & Julio at the upper end or more like Steve Smith was in CAR/BALT.  Dallas QB Prescott is not an ideal QB unless the WR excels at separation.  Dez may have lost a step and does not get the same level of separation, but Brees >> Prescott at ball placement and reads.  

The physical skill set NOS needs for WR2 might be something Dez can provide... (even though I don't like him there)...but Cooks today >> Dez today.  

 
habsfan said:
shadyridr said:
Tim Hightower
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Was he off the street or PS promotion (maybe getting pedantic here but still)?
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Tim Hightower had been in 2015's training camp with the Saints, but was one of the last cuts before the regular season. Hightower was not placed on the practice squad. Then-Saints RB Khiry Robinson broke his leg in Week 9 of 2015, prompting the Saints to re-sign Hightower off the street.

 
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In 9 games the 2nd best WR on the Saints has 12 catches. Basically nobody standing in front of him for playing time.

Bust? Jury is out

League Winner? Jury is out

Worth the gamble? Absolutely. If he's a bust you simply drop him. If he's a league winner you don't get a 2nd shot to grab him.

 
Meredith to IR.  I don't think Dez has a major fantasy impact anytime super soon-but I do think that he'll have some sort of fantasy relevance in a couple/few weeks.  I could see WR3 or flex appeal.   In general--I like the signing for NO.   Sure--Dez has regressed some with age--but his last couple of seasons--he also had to deal with a very bad Dak Prescott.  I think Dak's regression made Dez look worse than he actually was.   Brees  throws a better and more accurate ball than Dak.  This will help make up for some the reduced separation that Dez will probably get at his advanced football age. 

 
In my local 12 man ppr keeper league, a guy DRAFT Dez at equiv of 9th round (18 man roster) in late Aug.  And he has held him all season!  He does not have a winning record....  but maybe this gives him the WR3 he needs ....

Talk about dedication ....  maybe he is too committed!  :bag:

 
Birdie048 said:
In my local 12 man ppr keeper league, a guy DRAFT Dez at equiv of 9th round (18 man roster) in late Aug.  And he has held him all season!  He does not have a winning record....  but maybe this gives him the WR3 he needs ....

Talk about dedication ....  maybe he is too committed!  :bag:
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In our local keep-six league (mostly Saints homers), Dez Bryant was kept until two weeks go. Then snapped back up yesterday morning.

 
I took a flyer on him and drafted him late on a FFPC team. I envisioned him perhaps going to the Patriots with their thin WR core. When that didn't happen and Gordon went there I cut bait on Dez. I think the Saints situation is even a better one for Dez. Whether he's in shape or can get on the same page this late in the season to contribute remains to be seen, but you couldn't ask for a better opportunity for him. 

 
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