Dallas Cowboys preparing for life without Dez Bryant

The future for wide receiver Dez Bryant seems more unsure than ever after the Dallas Cowboys signed Allen Hurns on Friday.

After refusing to dip a toe into the open market pool through the first week of free agency, the Dallas Cowboys have suddenly made a flurry of signings. Two of which have been at the wide receiver position. That begs the question: What does that mean for the immediate future of Dez Bryant in Dallas?

Although many will argue that these signings change nothing when it comes to Bryant’s status with the Cowboys, it’s certainly says a lot about Dallas’ front office and how they are approaching the situation. That situation of course being the lackluster play of a once-dominate wide receiver who is being overpaid based on his poor performance for the past three seasons.

It’s clear the Cowboys are preparing for life without Dez Bryant. Whether that be this upcoming season or beyond is yet to be determined. But Dallas’ front office is clearly putting the team in position to remain competitive regardless if Bryant remains on the roster or not this year.

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On Thursday, the Cowboys inked former Buffalo Bills’ speedster Deonte Thompson to a one-year, $2.5 million contract. The following day, Dallas landed their biggest free agency fish yet, signing former Jacksonville jaguars wide receiver Allen Hurns to a two-year deal worth up to $12 million.

Many see Thompson as a likely replacement for Brice Butler, who is currently a free agent. In that role, Thompson would be a role player who could serve as a potential deep threat on a receiver corps severely lacking speed.

As for Hurns, he’s being labeled as a solid number two receiver, presumably replacing Terrance Williams in the starting lineup. Ironically, Williams was just signed to a four-year, $17 million deal last year. Instead of being touted as a possible replacement for Bryant, it seems Hurns is viewed as a perfect partner to play opposite of him.

Yet, Hurns’ frame and play style are nearly identical to Bryant’s. Both players are tall wide outs who lack blazing speed, struggle to get separation at times, have had recent injury issues and are seen as excellent 50/50 receivers. Playing those two types of wide outs opposite one another seems counterproductive.

Ideally, you’d want to partner wide receivers with differing traits that complement each other rather than mirror one another. That’s why dismissing Hurns as a potential Bryant-replacement simply doesn’t hold water for me. The two share a very similar play style, while the Cowboys’ newest addition is three years younger and costs half as much as Dez.

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Regardless if Dez Bryant plays for America’s Team or not in 2018, the Dallas Cowboys are clearly preparing for life without him in the future. And if the Cowboys decide to select a wide receiver high in next month’s NFL draft, the future may be now.

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