The Pros and Cons of the 49ers Potentially Signing Dez Bryant
Deebo Samuel is out three to four months with a broken foot, Dez Bryant is a free agent and Kendrick Bourne says the 49ers should sign him.
Should the 49ers take Bourne’s advice?
Here is Bourne’s official pitch to the 49ers:
And here is Bryant’s official response:
Clearly, Bryant would love to play for the 49ers. They’re Super Bowl contenders. I’m sure he’d love to play in big, nationally-televised games -- he played in lots of them when he was a wide receiver for the Cowboys. Plus, he’s 31 and hasn’t played in the NFL since 2017. He probably would suit up for any team that wants him. He’s desperate.
Bryant used to be fantastic -- he’s a three-time Pro Bowler. Maybe he still is better than the 49ers’ young receivers.
Nick Cothrel of Sports Illustrated’s All49ers recently wrote that the 49ers should NOT sign Bryant. Cothrel makes fantastic points, and I urge you to read his article.
This article is different. Unlike Cothrel, I take the balanced approach. I weigh the pros and cons.
Here are all the positives and negatives of the 49ers potentially signing Bryant.
POSITIVES:
NEGATIVES:
1. Bryant is old.
2. Bryant can’t get open anymore.
3. Bryant hasn’t played since 2017.
4. Bryant wasn’t even good during his final season.
5. Bryant tore his Achilles in 2018 just after signing a contract with the Saints.
6. Bryant probably is in worse physical shape now than before he tore his Achilles.
7. Bryant is older and more expensive and worse than probably a dozen wide receivers who will get cut and become free agents before Week 1.
8. Bryant is a diva and not a team-first guy. Diva wide receivers typically don’t fit on run-first offenses, because they don’t catch enough passes to be happy.
9. Bryant wouldn’t have a role in the offense after September, because Samuel will miss only a few games.
10. Bryant would take playing time away from young, talented wide receivers who need opportunities to learn and prove themselves. I’m talking Jalen Hurd, Brandon Aiyuk, Trent Taylor and Jauan Jennings.
11. Bryant would be a terrible veteran mentor for the 49ers’ young receivers and reinforce all the wrong values.
Now that we’ve weighed the pros and cons, what do you think the 49ers should do?
