Sitting at pick number 27, the thought of Oklahoma State playmaker, and Lufkin Texas native Dez Bryant still being there was not even in Jerry Jones' head. Bryant, widely considered one of the top ten players in this years draft(best wide receiver), saw his stock free falling the entire night, until finally he landed in Dallas at pick number twenty four. Once Jones saw that Bryant could be in reaching distance he could not sit still, nor could anyone else in the Cowboy war room. One person stated that there was an awfully lot of twitching going on once we got down to around the twentieth pick and Bryant was still on the board. That twitching blended with a whole lot of chatter and phone calls, and eventually led to the Cowboys trading up from 27th to 24th in order to snatch Bryant. Even though some thought he was a top ten pick, Bryant was not discouraged. Stating.
"When I fell to the Cowboys, that's the best thing that ever happened to me," he said. "I'm so happy I got picked and it doesn't matter where I got picked. I'm excited and I'm ready to go to work."
The joy was evident, Bryant the Texas native, grew up a Cowboys fan, and dreamed of one day playing for the Cowboys, now that dream has came true. Although expecting his name to be called much higher, Bryant couldn't be happier with how everything worked out. Jerry Jones on the otherhand couldn't be happier either,
"We have a great incentive and a huge reason to really make this work," Jones said. "And I think that what this can bring to our offense is worth whatever maintenance we have here, if you want to describe it that way.
Basically what Jones meant by that has to do with the veteran offense that will be around Bryant, and how that will work now he is in the mix. The Cowboys gave up a lot to bring in Roy Williams, a move that hasn't exactly paid off yet. After the emergence of Miles Austin last season, it really begs the question as to what will happen with Williams, and veteran Patrick Crayton. None the less, Jones stated Roy Williams had nothing to fear about his job, and we can all assume the tandem of Williams, Austin, Witten, and now Bryant will make for a lot of dangerous targets for QB Tony Romo to throw to. Not to mention speedster Felix Jones coming out of the backfield, mixed with the power running attack of Marion Barber, and do it all back Tashard Choice.
There was a lot of questions about Bryant leading up to the draft that ultimately led him to fall to Dallas. After missing all but three games last season for the Oklahoma State Cowboys due to NCAA suspension, a lot of eye brows were raised. However, Bryant has no criminal history, or any indication of showing bad character. What Dez Bryant was punished for though was not coming clean about meetings and workout with former Cowboy and NFL star Deion Sanders. No one knows for sure, but in a couple years there may be about twenty three teams who wish they would have taken Bryant, until then we will just have to see how it goes. From being a life long Cowboy fan, to working with a Cowboy great, Bryant may cap off his affair with the Boys by wearing the number of the greatest Cowboys receiver, Michael Irvins 88. So with Dez Bryant it all comes full circle in Dallas, and I guess if your once a Cowboy your always a Cowboy. One things for sure, Bryant cannot wait to get to Valley Ranch and go to work.
So in the end, it looks like everybodys happy, although I'm not sure who may be the happiest. As a Cowboys fan, I have to be towards the top somewhere, being I have wanted Jones to draft a top level receiver for over a decade now. One things for sure though, Jones always gets a lot of value out of his picks, and this time I think he got the most value pick number 24 could have got. So as the draft ventures into its second night, Jones and the Cowboys staff will look to address more needs that hopefully translate into a Super Bowl season. One things for sure, a play making Wide-Out/Return Man is not one of those, for in Bryant they got just that.
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