Three reasons the Cowboys should bring back Dez Bryant

The Dallas Cowboys are in the midst of an offseason full of change. From coaching swaps to contract tussles, a Dez Bryant reunion is all that’s missing.

The Dallas Cowboys and former wide receiver Dez Bryant were one and the same for many years. They have always been attached at the hip and in fact, share quite a few similarities. One of them has always been their ability to dominate headlines.

Whether it was due to his brash attitude, his early disciplinary run-ins, or his parts of in-game controversies (see Dez Bryant playoff catch in Green Bay), Bryant has always found a way to sneak into your favorite little newspaper or the tweets of your favorite little social media follow.

Well, they have done it again and once again together, as Jerry Jones dropped a golden nugget on Thursday. When asked about a potential Dallas Cowboys/Dez Bryant reunion, Jerry essentially gave hope to the notion.

Here is a tweet from the reporter who procured the information out of Fort Jerry, John Machota of The Athletic.

While the shower part of the equation is something we will never dive into, the Bryant portion is. Not only is it a good idea, but it would only be right. Here are three reasons why the Cowboys should do total exploration on making the possibility a reality.

1. His Fit Makes Them More Versatile

The Cowboys were one of the best offensive teams in football last year, the best according to total yards and yardage per contest and although some of their performances last year won’t say so. While they could always stand to improve from a chemistry, execution, and timing perspective, as anyone and anything can always be better at anything they are doing, they can also improve themselves by adding more weapons and thus, versatility to their artillery chest.

The Cowboys have wide receiver Michael Gallup under contract through 2022. While head coach Mike McCarthy has said that the goal is to bring back both Amari Cooper and Randall Cobb in free agency, per Bill Riccette of USA Today. 

If they brought back all three of their top receivers from this past season, that would give them a slot-gimmick guy in Cobb, a speedster-over the top guy in Gallup, and a route runner-possession guy in tow with Cooper.

Bryant would bring a totally different kind of dynamic to that receiving core in that although he is probably a possession receiver such as Coop, he hurts defenses with the tough, contested, jump ball plays as opposed to the ankle-breaking route combinations that make Cooper great. Bryant would make the Dallas Cowboys just that much more versatile and potent from a receiving core and offensive perspective, that is the first reason.

2. Cost

Let’s be real here, this one doesn’t require sources, confidants, or one of my favorite, people or a person close to the situation to tell the story. When thinking about what it might take salary-wise to sign Bryant, it won’t be that much.

While there are equal chances that it could be league minimum to something in the $5 million per range, either of those figures or anything in between would be getting Bryant on the cheap. While he isn’t what he once was, if he is right and back from the Achilles injury, his ability can still be game-changing and championship-winning.

3. The Cowboys Need A Feel Good Story

With all of the bad energy and negative stories coming out of the Dallas Cowboys building, they need something good to happen. For reference, whether it be the questions surrounding why it took so long to fire Garrett, the pessimism surrounding the McCarthy hire, the fact that the starting signal-caller isn’t signed yet, or even the questions surrounding the health and future of linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, the Cowboys are dealing with their share of not so good stories and publicity.

Bringing Bryant back into the fold would not only leave the fanbase all warm and fuzzy inside but more importantly, it would at least halt questions surrounding some of that other stuff that hasn’t been figured out by the time. That’s why they need something like this to act as a “feel-good story” for them.

The Cowboys have a lot of decisions to make and I would be wrong if I didn’t bring up the fact that they have a lot of options as well, with a super-stacked wide receiver class in the NFL Draft. None of them have been in the Cowboys system though, none will certainly have the impact on the field that a healthy Dez could have, and none of them certainly won’t sell the tickets, jerseys, or other merch that Bryant could.

These are all things that must be considered, but these are three very good reasons why they must be considered. Dallas Cowboys … Jerry Jones … the ball is in your court. Bring Dez home.