Dallas Cowboys scouting chief Will McClay opened up about Dez Bryant and said the team cut him due to his performance more so than his pay.
There’s been a lot of talk since the Dallas Cowboys decided to release their star wide receiver Dez Bryant. Everyone has weighed in on the move and opinions have varied.
The most prevailing thought seems to be that Dallas cut Bryant in a salary cap move and in doing so they now have no one to trust at wide receiver. According to scouting chief Will McClay, they didn’t even have that when No. 88 was still in Big D.
McClay — who is pretty much a general manager even though owner Jerry Jones holds the title — says that the reason Dallas moved on from Bryant was his inconsistent play.
"“It was a collective deal,” McClay said via Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram. “The (inability) to win one-on-one, to win down field. There was inconsistency as well as some huge things in his play. So what’s best moving forward for Dez Bryant the Cowboys, we just made that decision. It’s a production-based business.”"
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The key there is “production-based.” Since signing a five-year contract worth $70 million, Bryant has not produced. There’s been a litany of excuses made for his poor play, but the decision makers in Dallas were no longer having it.
That’s the reason they were willing to go after receivers like Sammy Watkins, who they reportedly were going to pay more than Bryant was making in annual averages. While some criticized the team for being willing to pay Watkins and not Bryant, their reasoning is clear thanks to McClay speaking so openly.
Bryant has been on the open market for a while now and has drawn limited interest. He surprisingly turned down an offer from the Baltimore Ravens, who quickly moved on.
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The charismatic receiver is reportedly wanting a one-year deal, in hopes of hitting the free agency market during the initial wave in 2019.