Dallas Cowboys: Is Dez Bryant damaging his legacy?

Following several outbursts on Twitter, is former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant ruining his legacy? Is he still a future Ring of Honor candidate?

After Friday’s outburst on Twitter, one thing is clear. Wide receiver Dez Bryant still harbors a major grudge against his former team, the Dallas Cowboys. And why not?

After three underwhelming seasons of questionable production, the 29-year old three-time Pro Bowler was unceremoniously released back in April well after the start of free agency, extremely limiting his options beyond Dallas.

So, it wasn’t a big surprise Bryant came out swinging on social media on Friday when a quote that was taken out of context by Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones emerged on Twitter that seemed to imply Dez was in the ear of young quarterback Dak Prescott far too much.

What followed from Bryant was a slew of fiery, profanity-laden tweets which appeared to be an attempt to defend himself while also airing out some of his frustrations stemming from his release three months ago.

In his initial response, Bryant pointed to the Cowboys predictable playcalling as the real problem in Dallas, which was a direct shot fired at head coach Jason Garrett and offensive coordinator Scott Linehan.

"“Here we go with that scapegoat [expletive].. i charged everything to the game and went the other way.. y’all know what the real problem is .. don’t put it on me with that bull[expletive].. garbage [expletive] play calling.. Everybody lined up in the same spot for 17 weeks..”"

Both Garrett and Linehan are believed to be on the hot seat this season, despite contradictory comments by owner Jerry Jones recently.

But the Twitter-firestorm didn’t stop there as Bryant responded to several replies to his initial tweet revealing his belief that former teammates in center Travis Frederick and linebacker Sean Lee had something to do with his release.

Both Lee and Frederick denied any involvement in Bryant’s departure. In fact, both express admiration for Dez during his time in Dallas. But according to Pro Football Talk, Lee did admit that they two of them did have their issues.

"“You know, to be honest, we did butt heads, because I wanted Dez to be more accountable to this team and his teammates. To be honest with you, a lot of the team felt that way. I think he needs to look at himself and hold himself accountable.”"

Currently unemployed and clearly frustrated, Bryant likely did himself no favors when it comes to finding a new home this summer. Although there are reports that some teams are still interested, specifically the Cleveland Browns.

Regardless of where Bryant lands, these latest outbursts could have a detrimental impact on the wide receiver’s legacy in Dallas. Selected in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft, Dez spent his first eight years with the Cowboys. During that span, Bryant amassed a whopping 73 receiving touchdowns, the most in franchise history.

His success as a member of America’s Team likely had him on a path to be a possible Ring of Honor candidate at some point as one of the most beloved figures ever the wear The Star. But this messy divorce could be tarnishing that legacy.

Dez Bryant is one of the greatest wide receivers in Dallas Cowboys history. And once he hangs up his cleats, he deserves to be honored for those accomplishments. But these recent outbursts have certainly cast a shadow on his time in Dallas. And if these kinds of negative actions continue, Bryant’s legacy could pay the price for the bad blood between both the organization and the former player.