It's strangely fitting that in the same week one of the more infamous non-catches in recent playoff history gets retroactively ruled a catch, comes a report that the player who caught/didn't catch it is headed to the waiver wire. Will there be more playoff catches/non-catches in Dez Bryant's history?
There's been plenty of speculation, but Yahoo! Sports' Jordan Schultz is firm that Bryant will be cut. He makes too much money for too little payoff; doesn't seem to be a difference-making wideout anymore.
Bryant will certainly find work, but doesn't seem to be a true No. 1 wideout these days. His last 1,000-yard season was 2014, remarkably long ago. He's just 29, but injuries have derailed two of his last three seasons, and he's been playing hurt at other times.
Last year, his catch rate was pretty poor, especially for a guy who's generally not getting behind defenses to catch long bombs. Among the 64 receivers to put up at least 500 yards a year ago, only seven of them caught a lower percentage of balls thrown their way than Bryant. Some of those guys (like J.J. Nelson and Josh Doctson) were typically running deeper routes, as well.
| WIDE RECEIVER CATCH RATES, 2017 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD | % |
| Golden Tate, Det. | 120 | 92 | 1003 | 5 | 76.7% |
| Ted Ginn, N.O. | 70 | 53 | 787 | 4 | 75.7% |
| Adam Humphries, T.B. | 83 | 61 | 631 | 1 | 73.5% |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt. | 79 | 58 | 917 | 7 | 73.4% |
| Randall Cobb, G.B. | 92 | 66 | 653 | 4 | 71.7% |
| Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 105 | 75 | 1183 | 7 | 71.4% |
| Danny Amendola, N.E. | 86 | 61 | 659 | 2 | 70.9% |
| Sterling Shepard, NYG | 84 | 59 | 731 | 2 | 70.2% |
| Michael Thomas, N.O. | 149 | 104 | 1245 | 5 | 69.8% |
| Mohamed Sanu, Atl. | 96 | 67 | 703 | 5 | 69.8% |
| Jarvis Landry, Mia. | 161 | 112 | 987 | 9 | 69.6% |
| Ryan Grant, Wash. | 65 | 45 | 573 | 4 | 69.2% |
| Terrance Williams, Dall. | 78 | 53 | 568 | 0 | 67.9% |
| Albert Wilson, K.C. | 62 | 42 | 554 | 3 | 67.7% |
| Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz. | 161 | 109 | 1156 | 6 | 67.7% |
| Stefon Diggs, Minn. | 95 | 64 | 849 | 8 | 67.4% |
| Cooper Kupp, LAR | 94 | 62 | 869 | 5 | 66.0% |
| Robert Woods, LAR | 85 | 56 | 781 | 5 | 65.9% |
| Nelson Agholor, Phil. | 95 | 62 | 768 | 8 | 65.3% |
| Eric Decker, Tenn. | 83 | 54 | 563 | 1 | 65.1% |
| Kendall Wright, Chi. | 91 | 59 | 614 | 1 | 64.8% |
| Doug Baldwin, Sea. | 116 | 75 | 991 | 8 | 64.7% |
| Keenan Allen, LAC | 159 | 102 | 1393 | 6 | 64.2% |
| Adam Thielen, Minn. | 142 | 91 | 1276 | 4 | 64.1% |
| Jamison Crowder, Wash. | 103 | 66 | 789 | 3 | 64.1% |
| Jermaine Kearse, NYJ | 102 | 65 | 810 | 5 | 63.7% |
| Tyler Lockett, Sea. | 71 | 45 | 555 | 2 | 63.4% |
| Davante Adams, G.B. | 117 | 74 | 885 | 10 | 63.2% |
| Tyrell Williams, Jac. | 69 | 43 | 728 | 4 | 62.3% |
| Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 163 | 101 | 1533 | 9 | 62.0% |
| Chris Godwin, T.B. | 55 | 34 | 525 | 1 | 61.8% |
| Kelvin Benjamin, Car.-Buff. | 78 | 48 | 692 | 3 | 61.5% |
| Rishard Matthews, Tenn. | 87 | 53 | 795 | 4 | 60.9% |
| Pierre Garcon, S.F. | 67 | 40 | 500 | 0 | 59.7% |
| Martavis Bryant, Pitt. | 84 | 50 | 603 | 3 | 59.5% |
| Julio Jones, Atl. | 148 | 88 | 1444 | 3 | 59.5% |
| DeVante Parker, Mia. | 96 | 57 | 670 | 1 | 59.4% |
| Demaryius Thomas, Den. | 140 | 83 | 949 | 5 | 59.3% |
| Brandon LaFell, Cin. | 89 | 52 | 548 | 3 | 58.4% |
| Marqise Lee, Jac. | 96 | 56 | 702 | 3 | 58.3% |
| Michael Crabtree, Oak. | 101 | 58 | 618 | 8 | 57.4% |
| Brandin Cooks, N.E. | 114 | 65 | 1082 | 7 | 57.0% |
| Marvin Jones, Det. | 107 | 61 | 1101 | 9 | 57.0% |
| Devin Funchess, Car. | 111 | 63 | 840 | 8 | 56.8% |
| Mike Wallace, Balt. | 92 | 52 | 748 | 4 | 56.5% |
| Sammy Watkins, LAR | 70 | 39 | 593 | 8 | 55.7% |
| DeSean Jackson, T.B. | 90 | 50 | 668 | 3 | 55.6% |
| Robby Anderson, NYJ | 114 | 63 | 941 | 7 | 55.3% |
| Kenny Stills, Mia. | 105 | 58 | 847 | 6 | 55.2% |
| DeAndre Hopkins, Hou. | 174 | 96 | 1378 | 13 | 55.2% |
| Deonte Thompson, Chi.-Buff. | 69 | 38 | 555 | 2 | 55.1% |
| Paul Richardson, Sea. | 80 | 44 | 703 | 6 | 55.0% |
| Travis Benjamin, LAC | 62 | 34 | 567 | 4 | 54.8% |
| Marquise Goodwin, S.F. | 105 | 56 | 962 | 2 | 53.3% |
| A.J. Green, Cin. | 143 | 75 | 1078 | 8 | 52.4% |
| T.Y. Hilton, Ind. | 109 | 57 | 966 | 4 | 52.3% |
| Dez Bryant, Dall. | 132 | 69 | 838 | 6 | 52.3% |
| Mike Evans, T.B. | 136 | 71 | 1001 | 5 | 52.2% |
| Emmanuel Sanders, Den. | 92 | 47 | 555 | 2 | 51.1% |
| Keelan Cole, Jax. | 83 | 42 | 748 | 3 | 50.6% |
| Amari Cooper, Oak. | 96 | 48 | 680 | 7 | 50.0% |
| J.J. Nelson, Ariz. | 61 | 29 | 508 | 2 | 47.5% |
| Alshon Jeffery, Phil. | 120 | 57 | 789 | 9 | 47.5% |
| Josh Doctson, Wash. | 78 | 35 | 502 | 6 | 44.9% |
That doesn't mean Bryant can't have value, in the right offense and if used properly. He'll need to stay healthy, certainly. But the Saints are among the teams looking for a wide receiver; that could be an intriguing landing spot. Note that they have two of the better performers on the above table, perhaps helped by working with one of the game's most accurate passers in Drew Brees.
In Dallas, this will make Allen Hurns the de facto No. 1 receiver. The Cowboys are expected to use an early pick on a wideout, but tough for rookies to step right in with a huge impact. I'll be intrigued by Hurns in the preseason. Somebody has to emerge in this passing game.
--Andy Richardson