Should Chicago Bears pursue Dez Bryant if cut?

There is a strong likelihood that the Dallas Cowboys cut Dez Bryant in the coming weeks. Should the Chicago Bears pursue him?

The Chicago Bears have spent this offseason going out with the old and in with the new. Ryan Pace has let a lot of guys go while bringing in fresh and more youthful talent. The Dallas Cowboys, meanwhile, may be taking their time to do the same when it comes to one particular veteran.

Dez Bryant is a talented wide receiver. There is no doubt about it. Has he fallen off a bit in the prior couple of seasons? Yes, that’s a fair conclusion to draw. But, he’s still well worth having on your roster. The Cowboys, however, don’t exactly feel that way, according to one particular insider.

If Bryant is cut, would it be smart for the Bears to take a flier on him?

Bryant’s best years came in 2012, 2013 and 2014 where he topped 1,000 yards in all three seasons and totaled 41 receiving touchdowns altogether. Since then, he hasn’t reached the 1,000 yard mark in each of the last three seasons and has totaled 17 touchdowns.

He gets a lot of flack for dropping balls and not creating separation on his routes, but he still presents a matchup nightmare in the red zone if used correctly. Bryant still possesses his big body, great for a physical style of football. If he came to Chicago, he wouldn’t even have to be counted on as the number one guy — but, is that what he would be looking for?

Bryant is still only 29 years old and could have plenty of football ahead of him if placed in the right situation. His downward trend has been somewhat of a mystery. Is he not happy in Dallas? Has he lost the passion for the game? Is he too wrapped up in himself, and not focused on winning games?

Look past the obvious stats

The biggest knock on him, according to many Cowboy fans, is the fact that he drops passes. Sure, he may have had 10 drops in 2017, but check out this graphic.

The staggering number of catchable passes over the last three seasons has dropped significantly. Bryant’s best three seasons came with Tony Romo under center and, at least for the past two years, he has had a new quarterback in Dak Prescott.

2015 may have been an anomaly due to his struggle with injuries, so let’s just say for the sake of this argument that the downtick in catchable targets over the past two seasons is due to quarterback play. Prescott won the hearts of fans two years ago after coming in and leading the Cowboys to a phenomenal season and playoff run.

But, was Prescott a product of a stout run game and one of the best offensive lines in the league? I would argue, yes.

Culture Change

The one thing Bryant would get in Mitchell Trubisky is an accurate passer who commands his offense well. If Bryant were to come to Chicago, under the leadership of Matt Nagy and with Trubisky in the huddle, I could see two things happening.

First, maybe his selfish traits take a back seat. Nagy is one who clearly means business and has a fiery passion for the game of football. Trubisky proved, even as a rookie, he’s not afraid to call out his teammates when leading the huddle. With a fresh star, could we see a change in attitude?

Second, his production, in terms of catches versus targets, should go up immensely. Like I said, Trubisky doesn’t make many bad throws. The national media won’t tell you that, however. Watch the tape and understand that he puts the ball where it’s supposed to be the majority of the time.

So, is Bryant worth the risk? He just might be, if the price is right. Assuming he would understand the likelihood of his contract paying him less than his deals have in the past, due to production, maybe Chicago would be able to make it happen.

Then, the Bears could potentially forget about wishing and hoping that both Cameron Meredith and Kevin White can come back healthy for 2018 — and, the red zone would sure be fun for the Bears.

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Think about this: Trey Burton, Allen Robinson, Adam Shaheen and Dez Bryant as targets inside the 20-yard line. To me, that idea presents tons of fireworks just waiting to happen.