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Martavis Bryant

Commanders To Release WR Martavis Bryant

August 27th, 2024 at 10:50am CST by Adam La Rose

Martavis Bryant‘s efforts to return to the NFL resulted in a Commanders deal, but he will not make the team’s initial roster. The veteran wideout is being cut, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Bryant spent part of the 2023 campaign on the Cowboys’ practice squad, but he did not see any regular season game action. Dallas retained him via a futures deal, but his May release left him on the open market. The 32-year-old was surprised to be let go by the Cowboys, Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post notes.

Bryant nevertheless remained focused on his goal of landing an NFL roster spot, an effort which he recounted (via the Jhabvala piece) was sparked by a 2023 workout with DeAndre Hopkins. Bryant – who last played a regular season game in 2018 – managed to land a workout with the Commanders not long after being let go by the Cowboys. A second audition (after which he dropped roughly 20 pounds) drew strong reviews from head coach Dan Quinn and Co., resulting in a contract earlier this month.

In the time since that pact was finalized, the Commanders have traded away 2022 first-round wideout Jahan Dotson. That move has led to questions regarding how Washington’s WR depth chart will shake out behind Terry McLaurin, and it seemed to open the door to Bryant making the 53-man roster as a complementary receiver. While he could still be retained via the practice squad, today’s news casts doubt on his 2024 outlook.

Bryant dealt with suspensions in 2015, 2016 and 2018, halting his ability to build off the promise he showed during his Steelers tenure. A one-year Raiders tenure was followed by time in the CFL and XFL before being reinstated by the NFL and given the opportunity to find a permanent gig. That could still take place in Bryant’s case, but the chances of doing so have taken a hit.

Commanders Sign WR Martavis Bryant, Waive K Ramiz Ahmed

August 13th, 2024 at 8:07am CST by Sam Robinson

Add Martavis Bryant to the list of recent Cowboys following Dan Quinn to Washington. After a second meeting with the Commanders, the veteran wide receiver secured another comeback opportunity.

Bryant, who has not played a regular-season game since 2018, spent much of last season on the Cowboys’ practice squad. He joins Tyler Biadasz, Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler as players on the 2023 Cowboys who are now part of the Commanders’ 2024 roster. Of course, the March signees have locked-in paths to playing time. Bryant has merely scored another chance to compete.

To make room on their 90-man roster, the Commanders cut kicker Ramiz Ahmed. Entering camp as the team’s only kicker, Ahmed saw his status change when the team claimed Riley Patterson. Ahmed has kicked in one career game. He will lose a kicking competition to a much more experienced player.

Although Bryant caught on with the Cowboys during Quinn’s Dallas finale, the team never elevated him onto its active roster. This sent the former Steelers and Raiders pass catcher to another crossroads, as he is now 32. The NFL reinstated Bryant last year, after he had been suspended for substance abuse — during a 2011 CBA that brought stricter penalties on this front — back in 2018.

The Cowboys also cut Bryant in May, after having given him a reserve/futures contract to extend his redevelopment. But the 6-foot-4 weapon has continued to generate interest. As could be expected, Quinn said (via NBC Sports Washington’s JP Finlay) he was impressed with Bryant on Dallas’ P-squad last year.

Bryant’s initial NFL run included extended flashes, mostly in Pittsburgh, that still have league personnel intrigued. Suspended in 2015, 2016 and 2018, Bryant still totaled 17 touchdowns (all with the Steelers) during his interrupted early years. He produced two 600-plus-yard seasons, including a 765-yard 2015 showing opposite Antonio Brown that came in just 11 games. Bryant followed that up with an acrobatic TD in a Steelers wild-card win over the Bengals. Being unable to follow that up — thanks to a full-season ban in 2016 — came to define the Clemson alum’s career.

Bryant resurfaced in the XFL’s third effort in 2023. The Cowboys enjoyed good luck from spring-league imports recently, adding All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey and Pro Bowl return man KaVontae Turpin from the USFL. Quinn’s new team will try its luck with Bryant, who is certainly running short on time to make an NFL return. Beyond their Terry McLaurin–Jahan Dotson–Luke McCaffrey trio, the Commanders carry Jamison Crowder, fourth-year player Dyami Brown and the recently re-signed Byron Pringle.

The Commanders added Ahmed shortly after releasing Brandon McManus in June. The Jaguars’ decision to waive Patterson early in training camp led to him being claimed once again. Kicking in 39 games since 2021, the well-traveled specialist is now the only kicker on Washington’s 90-man roster.

WR Martavis Bryant Lines Up Second Commanders Workout

August 12th, 2024 at 12:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

Martavis Bryant‘s efforts to return to NFL action will once again take him to the nation’s capital. The veteran wideout is set to visit the Commanders for a workout tomorrow, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports.

Bryant first visited Washington in May as part of his bid to land a roster spot ahead of the 2024 season. No deal was worked out at that point, but this week’s summit could produce a different result. The 32-year-old last played an NFL game in 2018, but he continues to seek out an opportunity to return to the league.

A combination of substance abuse-related suspensions left Bryant sidelined for years after the end of his one-year Raiders tenure. The former Steelers fourth-rounder saw time in the CFL and XFL before making his ongoing attempt at a finding an NFL roster spot. Given the fact the Commanders already hosted him once, it will be interesting to see if tomorrow’s visit produces mutual interest from team and player to work out a deal.

Bryant signed with the Cowboys in November, but he spent the following months on Dallas’ practice squad. After signing a futures deal, the Clemson product was released in May. That has led to a lengthy free agent spell and no known visits with a team other than the Commanders. In Washington, Bryant would spend the coming weeks competing for a complementary role in the team’s passing game.

Terry McLaurin remains comfortably atop the Commanders’ WR depth chart. Recent draftees Dyami Brown and Jahan Dotson are set to hold roster spots in 2024, while Washington also has veterans Olamide Zaccheaus, Jamison Crowder and Byron Pringle in the fold. The Commanders selected Luke McCaffrey in the third round of this spring’s draft, and he too is in the mix for a regular role. Bryant would thus have plenty of competition for a roster spot if he were to sign with Washington.

WR Martavis Bryant Still Eyeing NFL Gig

July 6th, 2024 at 8:51am CST by Ben Levine

Martavis Bryant isn’t planning to hang up his cleats. The wide receiver is still hoping to catch on with a team for the 2024 campaign, and the veteran believes he can still be productive if given the chance.

“I got a lot of football left,” Bryant told Queen City News (via Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com). “Still love the game, never stopped loving the game. I had to take some time to reflect on myself and get my situation straight off the field. I did that. I put in a lot of work. There’s still so much left I can do. I know I can contribute to somebody that wants to give me the opportunity.”

Bryant’s five-year banishment from the NFL came to an end last November when he was reinstated by the league. He subsequently caught on with the Cowboys practice squad, but he didn’t earn a promotion to the 53-man roster during the 2023 campaign. Despite signing a reserve/futures contract with Dallas at the beginning of the offseason, Bryant was squeezed off the offseason roster in May following the Cowboys’ acquisition of several rookie wideouts.

The receiver had a workout with the Commanders back in May, but no deal materialized. Bryant also told the Queen City News that he met with Panthers senior assistant Jim Caldwell at a recent event, but it’s uncertain if the two sides had significant talks about a deal.

The wideout quickly made a name for himself with the Steelers after being selected in the fourth round of the 2014 draft. He hauled in 14 touchdowns through his first two seasons in the NFL (plus another two playoff scores) before being sidelined for the entire 2016 campaign thanks to his second career suspension. He topped 600 yards following his return in 2017, but the Steelers quickly traded him off to the Raiders for a third-round pick.

He got into eight games with Oakland before being hit with his most-recent suspension in 2018. Between that initial suspension and his 2023 comeback attempt with the Cowboys, Bryant spent time in a handful of alternative leagues, including stints in the CFL and XFL. While Bryant has been staying active in recent years, there’s no hiding the fact that he hasn’t gotten into an NFL game since the 2018 campaign. With 2024 representing his age-33 season, Bryant’s hopes of an NFL return will soon run dry.

Commanders To Host WR Martavis Bryant

May 14th, 2024 at 8:35pm CST by Ben Levine

After getting cut by the Cowboys last week, Martavis Bryant will work out for a division rival. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the Commanders will work out the veteran wide receiver tomorrow.

[RELATED: Cowboys To Release WR Martavis Bryant]

Bryant’s five-year ban from the NFL ended last November when the wide receiver was reinstated by the league. He subsequently caught on with the Cowboys practice squad but never made his way to the big-league roster. He signed a reserve/futures contract with the organization in January, but he was released shortly after the Cowboys added three rookies to the position.

The wideout burst onto the scene with the Steelers after being selected in the fourth round of the 2014 draft. He hauled in 14 touchdowns through his first two years in the NFL (plus another two playoff scores) before being sidelined for the entire 2016 campaign thanks to his second career suspension. He topped 600 yards following his return in 2017, and the Steelers quickly sent him to the Raiders for a third-round pick.

He got into eight games with Oakland before being hit with his most-recent suspension in 2018. Between that initial suspension and his 2023 comeback attempt with the Cowboys, Bryant spent time in a handful of other leagues, including stints in the CFL and XFL.

While Commanders head coach (and former Cowboys defensive coordinator) Dan Quinn didn’t deal with Bryant directly in Dallas, he did get an extended look at him at Cowboys practice. If the 32-year-old catches on with the Commanders, he’d have an uphill battle to make the active roster. Still, the team does lack experienced depth behind Terry McLaurin. Former first-round pick Jahan Dotson and third-round rookie Luke McCaffrey will likely take up two spots, but Bryant could compete with the likes of Dax Milne, Dyami Brown, Jamison Crowder, and Olamide Zaccheaus for a job.

Cowboys To Release WR Martavis Bryant

May 8th, 2024 at 1:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Bringing in Martavis Bryant as a flier who could potentially help as a supporting-caster late last season, the Cowboys never ended up activating the ex-Steelers starter.

Despite signing the formerly suspended wideout in early November, the Cowboys ultimately did not view Bryant as ready to contribute. The team gave Bryant a reserve/futures contract in January, but NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero notes the team is releasing him Wednesday.

[RELATED: Cowboys To Meet With WR Zay Jones]

Bryant’s stock has not approached the level that once featured him being traded for a third-round pick, as the 6-foot-4 weapon has not played in a regular-season game since 2018. But Pelissero adds other teams have shown interest. While it would not necessarily surprise to see Bryant given another opportunity, he is running out of time to reignite his NFL career at age 32.

The NFL reinstated Bryant from a yearslong suspension on November 4, 2023. This came years after the NFL loosened its drug policy — which led Bryant out of the league in the late 2010s — to cut down on suspensions for non-PED offenses. The 2010s featured harsher punishments for substance abuse, and Bryant ran afoul of these standards at multiple points during his initial NFL run. He missed four games in 2015 due to substance-abuse ban and was sidelined throughout the 2016 season. Bryant’s subsequent penalty — levied in December 2018 — ended up lasting for nearly five years. The ex-Ben Roethlisberger target scored 17 touchdowns from 2014-17 as a Steeler, adding a spectacular TD grab in the 2015 wild-card round.

Bryant remained in redevelopment mode as of late November of last year, and the Cowboys went with other options as CeeDee Lamb wingmen. The team released Bryant from its practice squad in early January but circled back via the futures deal. The Titans also had Bryant on their radar last year. It will be interesting to see if the Clemson alum — who also stopped through the CFL, XFL and Fan Controlled Football League — receives another NFL opportunity.

This move clears a spot for Jones, who is visiting the Cowboys today. The son of Robert Jones — a former Super Bowl starter for the Cowboys in the 1990s — Zay is a Dallas native who has seen one of his free agency doors (the Titans) seemingly close due to the Brian Callahan–Tyler Boyd reunion. The Cowboys still have Brandin Cooks in place as their top Lamb complement, but they remain on the hunt for more help.

NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/17/24

January 17th, 2024 at 9:05pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s reserve/futures contracts:

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

Pittsburgh Steelers

Bryant joined the Cowboys in November, and though he didn’t appear in any games, Bryant left a good impression in Dallas after several weeks on the practice squad. He was released late in the season as the team shuffled the roster a bit but makes his return to Dallas for the offseason.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/4/24

January 4th, 2024 at 8:09pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Kansas City Chiefs

New York Giants

Isaiah Buggs will provide the Chiefs with some defensive line depth as they head into the playoffs. After playing a part-time role with the Steelers to begin his career, Buggs joined the Lions in 2022 and proceeded to have a career season, finishing with 46 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble in 17 games (13 starts).

That performance earned him a two-year, $6MM extension this past offseason. However, his playing time dropped in 2023, and he collected 12 tackles and one sack in 10 games (three starts) before getting released earlier this week.

NFC East Notes: Neal, Cowboys, Commanders

November 30th, 2023 at 3:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Giants have seen Andrew Thomas become one of the NFL’s better tackles — en route to a $23.5MM-per-year extension — they have not observed their right tackle make a second-year leap. Evan Neal has missed time with injuries and struggled when on the field. Thomas was a Dave Gettleman draft choice, while Neal went in Joe Schoen‘s first draft in charge. Pro Football Focus has assigned this season’s third-worst tackle grade to Neal. The Alabama product was seen as a player who could potentially slide to guard at some point, having played there at times in college. For the time being, Schoen is not entertaining such a switch.

“No, I don’t think so,” Schoen said, via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy. “We are looking forward to getting him back, but he knows there are some things he can do better — and that’s what we expect from him. … I went back and watched the Alabama stuff: The kid can play. We just have to get him to be more consistent. I have a lot of confidence in Evan.”

In 20 starts over two seasons, PFF charges Neal with 10 sacks allowed. Just two of those have come this year, but the former No. 7 overall pick has missed five games. Neal has missed five of the Giants’ past six contests; the team has not placed him on IR. The Giants will certainly hope to see signs of promise from Neal down the stretch.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

  • DaRon Bland has morphed from a 2022 fifth-round pick into an NFL record holder, via the fifth pick-six he notched on Thanksgiving. The Cowboys could see two cornerbacks become first-team All-Pros in three seasons, after Trevon Diggs‘ 11-INT season landed him on the 2021 top team. Diggs’ 2023 replacement played at Division I-FCS Sacramento State and then spent a year at Fresno State. Cowboys scout Ross Wuensche identified Bland as a target, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes (video link), and the team brought him in for a visit. Describing Bland as a late-blooming prospect, Rapoport adds interest came in late enough he could not turn all his invitations for “30” into meetings before the 2022 deadline. With Stephon Gilmore‘s contract up after this season, the Cowboys extended Diggs and have Bland signed through 2025.
  • Recent Cowboys pickup Martavis Bryant remains in redevelopment mode. The team has not elevated its practice squad stash for a game yet, making it now more than five years since the former Steelers starter has played in an NFL game. No timetable is in place for a Bryant move to the active roster, but executive VP Stephen Jones said (via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill) the team sought the recent XFL wideout for his size-speed combo. The Cowboys are fairly well stocked at receiver, but Bryant’s 6-foot-4 frame would be a new dimension for this particular Dallas receiving cadre. It remains to be seen if the soon-to-be 32-year-old pass catcher still has NFL-viable form left.
  • Having fired DC Jack Del Rio after a Cowboys Thanksgiving romp, Ron Rivera is set to call the Commanders‘ defensive plays. The team also fired multi-stop Del Rio lieutenant Brent Vieselmeyer, who was Washington’s DBs coach this season. To help manage the workload, Rivera hired Jimmy Salgado as an interim staffer, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. Salgado had spent six seasons on Sean McDermott‘s Bills staff, but the team fired him this offseason. Salgado spent the 2023 season at Michigan State, working as the Spartans’ cornerbacks coach.

Cowboys To Sign WR Martavis Bryant

November 7th, 2023 at 4:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite not playing an NFL game since 2018, Martavis Bryant has secured another gig. Recently reinstated, the veteran wide receiver has a deal in place with the Cowboys, according to The Athletic NBA reporter Shams Charandia.

The Cowboys brought in Bryant for a Tuesday workout. Had the Cowboys not agreed to sign Bryant, the former Steelers draftee had a meeting arranged with the Titans. But Dallas will take a flier on the former starter, with Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweeting it is a practice squad deal.

While this reminds of Josh Gordon‘s 2017 return after 2 1/2 seasons away, Bryant has doubled Gordon’s time away from the game. The NFL reinstated Bryant last week, and although he will turn 32 next month, it is certainly interesting a few teams showed immediate interest in a player after so much time off. The Lions also expressed interest in Bryant, according to Schultz. The Cowboys are not planning to immediately elevate Bryant to the active roster, per CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson, eyeing a gradual buildup. Given Bryant’s past, this makes sense.

The NFL banned Bryant indefinitely on Dec. 14, 2018. This came for repeated violations of the league’s substance-abuse policy. The 2011 CBA featured harsher punishments for substance abuse. Partially in exchange for agreeing to move to a 17-game regular season, the NFLPA received various concessions in the 2020 CBA. One of those came in the form of leniency on the substance-abuse front. Still, it has been more than 3 1/2 years since that CBA’s ratification. Like Gordon, Bryant will be given another opportunity. Although Gordon relapses interfered with his comeback bid — one that eventually saw the former All-Pro’s form deteriorate to the point he was no longer a sought-after player — the Cowboys will see what Bryant has left in the tank.

Like Gordon, Bryant played in the again-rebooted XFL this season. Gordon fared much better, catching 38 passes for 540 yards. Bryant, meanwhile, caught 14 passes for 154 yards in eight games with the Vegas Vipers. The Cowboys clearly liked what they saw from the former Steelers and Raiders auxiliary pass catcher, and they will see if he can come in as a tertiary target for Dak Prescott.

Back in the 2010s, Bryant was viewed as a high-ceiling talent. The Clemson alum showcased those skills at points in Pittsburgh, totaling 1,314 yards and 14 touchdown receptions between the 2014 and ’15 seasons. Bryant added an acrobatic TD in the Steelers’ narrow wild-card win over the Bengals in 2015, residing as an intriguing Antonio Brown sidekick pre-JuJu Smith-Schuster. But Bryant received drug suspensions in 2015 and ’16. Bryant received a four-game suspension in August 2015 and a full-season ban in March 2016. This led to the indefinite ban two years later.

Bryant’s rookie contract tolled to 2017, when he added 603 receiving yards for a 13-3 Steelers team, but Pittsburgh dealt the embattled wideout to Oakland in 2018. While the 6-foot-4 receiver flashed frequently during his 2010s run, it would be highly unlikely to see him return to that level after so much time away. But the XFL could be viewed as a ramp-up period for Bryant. The Cowboys have enjoyed good fortune with players from the spring leagues. They saw USFL return man KaVontae Turpin earn All-Pro acclaim last season, and USFL kicker Brandon Aubrey is off to a flawless start upon signing with the team. Aubrey is 19-for-19 on field goals thus far as a Cowboy.

The Cowboys aimed to sign Odell Beckham Jr. last season but were not satisfied with his post-ACL-tear form. They ended up adding T.Y. Hilton. The 11-year veteran made a key reception in a win over the Eagles last season. This year, Dallas acquired Brandin Cooks from Houston. Cooks has joined Michael Gallup as starters alongside CeeDee Lamb. Bryant brings size the Cowboys’ starters do not, however, with none of the first-stringers standing more than 6-1. Turpin (5-9) and 2022 third-round pick Jalen Tolbert (6-1) are in place as backups. Seventh-round rookie Jalen Brooks is also on Dallas’ 53-man roster. It will be interesting to see if Bryant sees game action as a result of this agreement.

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