The Patriots typically avoid the mad rush at the start of NFL free agency each year in order to make a run at talented players who have been released. Dez Bryant fits the criteria, but it remains to be seen if the Patriots truly are interested. Are the Dez Bryant Patriots NFL rumors true? So long as they don’t get into a bidding war with another team – which could very well happen given Bryant’s talent and that he’s on the right side of 30-years-old – the Pats could make a run at him. ESPN’s Mike Reis wrote recently about Dez’ motivations and how that will translate into whether or not the Pats will bite.
“If [Dez] is looking for maximum dollars, my sense is that wouldn’t fit with the Patriots,” Reiss wrote. “But if he was willing to take a short-term contract at around $4 million per season (aligned with top-paid receiver Julian Edelman), perhaps the Patriots would at least consider it.”
As for the competition the Patriots face – they do have a slightly better short-term cap situation than the Eagles and Giants, right now. Bryant said when he left Dallas that he wants to stay in the NFC East in order to get revenge on the Cowboys but it’s unclear if that was simply in-the-moment hostility. Initially it was thought that Bryant had his eyes on joining the reigning Super Bowl champs in Philly, but he dropped more than a hint on Tuesday that the Giants were actually his preferred destination.
“The Giants [are a good landing spot],” Bryant told 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “They’ve got a helluva defense, they’re going to pay OBJ, so he’s coming back. Playing with him, Sterling [Shepard], the tight end [Evan Engram], [Eli] Manning? Crazy. They draft [Saquon] Barkley? That’d be crazy!”
The Patriots are hoping that a player like Malcolm Mitchell, Kenny Britt or Cordarrelle Patterson emerges as a top wide receiver target for Tom Brady – but none of those players have yet shown the ability to do so in the Patriots’ system on a consistent basis yet. If the Pats have any doubt, expect them to at least kick the tires on Bryant.
Bryant is under the Roc Nation umbrella and the Patriots do not have an extensive history of dealing with that agency – other than Robert Kraft once doing shots with Jay-Z and company, and Julian Edelman meeting with the group several years back.
