The Cowboys cut Dez Bryant a week and a half ago, and the timing couldn't have been worse for Bryant. Not only is Bryant entering free agency at the age of 29, but his free agency began in mid-April, long after the period when teams were willing to throw bundles of money at receivers.
And that raises an important question: Did the Cowboys do Bryant a disservice by waiting until April 13 to cut him loose?
That's what reporters wanted to know when they met with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on Tuesday. Unsurprisingly, Jones didn't make much of the perceived issue, dismissing the question.
Jerry Jones: "I have no thoughts about the timing when we decided to move on [from Dez Bryant]. ... I think a nice, crisp time to call it a day was the way to do this. We need to move on knowing that we don't have Dez."
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) April 24, 2018
Jerry Jones has no thoughts about the #Cowboys timing of Dez Bryant's release, and believes it "was as good a time as any". Goes on to praise Bryant and his contributions, sees no issue with when it was done.
— Patrik Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) April 24, 2018
This probably doesn't need to be reported, but just to make sure we're all on the same page here, there's no chance that the Cowboys will reunite with Bryant.
Jerry Jones was asked if the door was still open for a Dez Bryant return. His response including the phrase "move on." It's not happening.
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) April 24, 2018
And the Cowboys now know that they have to find a receiver in the draft to add to a group that features Allen Hurns, Deonte Thompson, Cole Beasley, Ryan Switzer, and Terrance Williams. It's not the most inspiring group of playmakers. Unsurprisingly, most of our mock drafts here at CBS Sports have included the Cowboys taking a receiver -- Calvin Ridley or D.J. Moore -- at No. 19.
Still, the Cowboys hold no illusions about their ability to draft an immediate replacement for Bryant. As our Will Brinson recently chronicled, it's difficult to find recent first-round receivers who made a substantial impact during their rookie season. So, while the Cowboys undoubtedly need to add address receiver in the draft, they're unlikely to find an immediate star.
Jerry Jones on how releasing Dez Bryant impacts this draft: "I think we recognize that we have a hole to fill with Dez. We know we won't [get] a pure X receiver to replace Dez [out of this draft]."
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) April 24, 2018
So, where does that leave Bryant? At this point, his market has yet to heat up. After his abrupt departure, he made it clear that he wants to remain in the NFC East, but to this point, the rest of the division hasn't shown any interest in him. The Ravens were said to hold interest in him, but then they went out and signed Willie Snead away from the Saints, which ended their brief flirtation with Bryant.
And that leaves Bryant without any serious suitors at the moment. That's partly due to the timing of his release, but it's mainly because of his recent production. Over the past three seasons, Bryant is averaging roughly 678 yards and nearly six touchdowns per season. He hasn't eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark since 2014.
Of course, it would've helped Bryant if he had entered free agency at the same time as every other receiver.
