Dez Bryant might have gotten a tryout with the Baltimore Ravens this week, but Adam Wells of Bleacher Report wrote on Thursday that a contract offer isn’t forthcoming. The writer added that this doesn’t mean the Ravens aren’t interested at all, simply that there isn’t a timetable for a deal. Wells didn’t know exactly why the franchise might be dragging its feet.
Whether or not Bryant will eventually be signed by the team seems to be up for debate, even at ESPN . Two analysts from the sports network had different takes. Jamisen Henley said there was a chance he could get a deal at some point in the future. Jeremy Fowler disagreed, saying that the receiver isn’t expected to join the roster at all.
Henley added a bit of credence to his speculation that a contract could be coming by revealing that Bryant and the Ravens had been in contact “for months” leading up to the workout.
Bryant has reportedly been talking to several different teams this offseason as he attempts to return to the field for an NFL franchise for the first time in two years. He last played in a league game for the Dallas Cowboys in 2017. He played in all 16 games that season, catching 69 passes for 838 yards and six touchdowns. In 2018, he signed a free-agent contract with the New Orleans Saints but never appeared in a game after suffering a torn Achilles tendon two practices into fall camp.
Before his tryout earlier this week, Bryant posted some videos on Instagram that showed him warming up and doing a light workout at a local high school field.
This past spring, there were some rumors that Bryant might return to the team with which he spent most of his career. He had reportedly reached out to the Cowboys front office, hoping for a chance to prove he belonged on the roster.
Many thought that once they selected CeeDee Lamb in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft the door was closed on Bryant’s possible return. Lamb was even given Bryant’s old number and the veteran receiver tweeted out his support for the rookie.
Wells said it wasn’t entirely clear why Baltimore wouldn’t give Bryant an offer. The franchise is set to start the 2020 season with Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin as its top two receivers. The team also has Willie Snead, Chris Moore, and rookie Devin Duvernay competing for playing time.