After one week in the NFL season, there are a few teams who are expressing interest in Dez Bryant. Bryant isn't expected to make his return to the NFL until later in the year but among the teams he has his sights on, the Green Bay Packers are an interesting candidate for his services.
The veteran received joined the New Orleans Saints in 2018 after he spent eight seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. Unfortunately, Bryant suffered a torn Achilles in his practice with the Saints.
As a result, Bryant missed the entire 2018 season and his recovery would continue into 2019. Over the course of the offseason, the former Cowboys wideout has worked with his wide receivers coach, David Robinson, to get back into playing shape.
For the Packers, they could use another receiver in their offense to give Aaron Rodgers more weapons. Davante Adams is one of the NFL's best wide receivers but aside from him, there aren't any proven pass-catchers in Green Bay.
Currently, the Packers have Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Geronimo Allison as the other two options in their aerial attack. Considering that, Green Bay could definitely use someone like Bryant on their roster for the 2019 season.
With that being said, here are three reasons why the Packers should take a flier on Bryant.
3. The Reward Outweighs the Risk
There are definitely some risks that come with signing a 30-year-old wideout that has had injury issues in recent seasons. However, the rewards easily outweigh the risks when it comes to bringing in a talent like Bryant.
From 2012-2014, Bryant averaged 91 receptions, 1,311 yards, and nearly 14 touchdowns per season in that span. During the 2014 season, Bryant was named as an All-Pro after catching a league-high 16 receiving touchdowns.
Sadly, just a season later, the gifted receiver fractured his foot and would miss seven games throughout the season. Since that injury, Bryant hasn't been the same physically and has struggled to remain on the field.
After having a whole offseason to recover from his previous injuries, Bryant could provide some much-needed production to the Packers for a fairly cheap price.
2. Bryant Can Be a Reliable Red-Zone Option
When you have Aaron Rodgers as your quarterback, it's presumed that Green Bay has a formidable red-zone offense. The Packers ranked 14th in the NFL by scoring touchdowns on 61.7 percent of their red-zone trips last year.
Furthermore, Rodgers and the Packers managed to score a touchdown on just one of their red-zone trips. Albeit, it came against a stingy Chicago Bears defense but there is still room to improve in that area of their offense.
At 6-foot-2, 220-pounds, Bryant could become a viable threat in the red zone for Green Bay. Throughout his playing career, Bryant was known as a physical receiver who thrived in jump-ball situations. Rodgers likely wouldn't mind throwing back-shoulder fades to someone with Bryant's skill set.
1. Bryant Could Bring Experience at Wide Receiver
The top five wide receivers on the Packers depth chart has the average age of 25.6 years old. Furthermore, the oldest receiver on the roster is Jake Kumerow who turned 27-years-old in February.
In this case, Green Bay should consider bringing in Bryant to help provide some experience at the position. The 30-year-old receiving threat has spent eight seasons in the NFL and could aid some of the young receivers in developing on and off of the field.
With his experience in the NFL, Bryant likely wouldn't need much time to learn Matt LaFleur's offense. At the least, if Bryant isn't able to produce for the team on the field, he can become a veteran presence in the locker room.
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