Do You Believe In Dez Bryant?

Here we are at contract extension time and there still seems to be some non-believers out there. I realize that some people are never going to come around, refusing to reverse their opinion purely out of stubbornness. As I am also sure there is at least a small handful of people who still believe the Earth is flat, Elvis is alive, and that “Grey’s Anatomy” is both a realistic and entertaining show.

There are so many facts to prove these ideas wrong (satellite photos, autopsy reports, 10 minutes of viewing), but some people just refuse to accept reality.

So despite the incredible success and shocking athleticism the Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant has displayed over the last few years, there still is and always will be those that insist he was a mistake. There are those that feel he never should have been drafted and absolutely should not have his contract extended. I read an article the other day where the author stated that Bryant had disappointed in his first couple of seasons, putting up poor numbers and clearly not having a good grasp of the playbook.

My confidence in Dez Bryant has never faltered, never wavered.

It surprises me how few people out there realize that Dez Bryant has out performed both

and

at this point in their careers. Here’s a statistic that might surprise you. In Drew Pearson’s 11 season career with the Cowboys he scored a total of 48 touchdowns (I am aware that they were shorter seasons). In comparison, Michael Irvin scored a total of 65 touchdowns in his 12 year career with Dallas. Dez Bryant on the other hand, has scored 40 touchdowns in just 4 years with the Cowboys. Bryant’s touchdown production has steadily increased each season, so can you imagine the staggering total he could amass in an 11-12 year career?

For those that want to attack Bryant’s ability to run routes and learn the playbook, do you not remember our entire team of receivers struggling with route running and adjustments at that time? When your quarterback is on the sideline after every offensive series trying to correct each receiver’s bad route running, it’s not a problem with the individual receiver, it’s a problem with the receiver’s coach. Enter former Tennessee coach Derek Dooley to replace Jimmy Robinson as receiver’s coach, and immediately we see a marked improvement in Bryant’s reads and routes.

Dez Bryant is currently the 2nd best receiver in the league with the potential every season to be number one, and he deserves to be paid as such. Extending Bryant’s contract is a no brainer.

This will be my last article with The Landry Hat, at least for a while, and it only seems fitting that it come full circle as it has. My first article was defending the draft of Dez Bryant, sighting his ability and athleticism as well as defending him from the character assassination that the media has driven starting with his senior year in college. Now we come to a close with my belief in him never stronger and my desire to see him locked in with the Cowboys for the next several years under a much deserved new contract.

My confidence in Dez Bryant has never faltered, never wavered. Neither has my admiration for this young man who has pulled himself out of the darkness and into the light, overcoming a tragic childhood while friends, family, agents, and former pros (Deion Sanders) circled around him like vultures anxiously waiting to feast on the bones of his first contract.

I have always and will always believe in Dez Bryant. I have always and will always be among his biggest fans. I also will always love the Dallas Cowboys, and hope that we all continue to have the opportunity to love the union of the two.

However regrettable, the time has come for me to say goodbye, at least for now. Thank you all for reading, God bless you and God bless the Dallas Cowboys, America’s Team, always and forever…