Cowboys Face Competition for Ex-Steelers WR’s Signature: Report

Getty Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones

The Dallas Cowboys have invited free agent and former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant for a workout, but they aren’t alone. Getting pieces that can improve the roster are rare at this point in the season, and they don’t come easy.

It should be no surprise that receiver-needy teams like the Tennessee Titans are interested. And according to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, Bryant’s next stop after Dallas is Tennessee.

“Former #Steelers WR Martavis Bryant is working out for the #Cowboys tomorrow and plans to workout for the #Titans after that if there’s no deal with Dallas, sources tell @BleacherReport,” Schultz posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) on November 6.

Dallas has seen a banner year from WR CeeDee Lamb already. But Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup haven’t been nearly as successful with just 165 and 243 receiving yards respectively. There’s certainly no guarantee that Bryant would be able to succeed instead, but it may be worth a try.

Dallas already has six receivers on the depth chart. Adding Bryant would likely mean releasing one of their current options. That could be a tough decision, but one that would probably happen this week if the Cowboys elect to go forward with Bryant.

Bryant Looking to Restart NFL Career

The now 31-year-old receiver grew up in South Carolina and then played his college ball at Clemson, joining a WR group that featured future NFL names like DeAndre Hopkins, Sammy Watkins and Jaron Brown.

After a solid, but not elite college career, the Steelers drafted Bryant in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft. He quickly looked like a steal, racking up 594 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in just 10 appearances as a rookie according to PFR.

He followed up with 765 receiving yards in 11 games the following season, but the reason he missed time was due to a failed drug test. That was foreboding, as he was then suspended for the entire 2016 season gain the following Spring.

The Steelers stuck with Bryant initially, though. Despite him calling to be traded mid-season, he stayed with Pittsburgh until the following offseason when they dealt him to the Las Vegas Raiders.

However, he then violated his reinstatement conditions in the 2018 season, leading to an indefinite suspension and what seemed like the end of his NFL career.

Who Could Cowboys Cut?

While CeeDee Lamb isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, Dallas’ other options aren’t as certain. In fact, even Michael Gallup could be a dark horse for release.

That’s because the team is still waiting on Gallup to rediscover his best game. Elsewhere, the Cowboys are hoping for Jalen Tolbert to realize his potential. There’s also KaVontae Turpin and Jalen Brooks in the wings.

But Turpin has established himself as a premier special teams player, meaning he won’t be going anywhere. Brooks, a 2023 seventh-round pick, was a standout in training camp and the preseason.

The potential release could always go from another area on the roster. But it simply makes more sense to roll with a maximum of six receivers, especially considering they don’t utilize their WR depth, having completed just 17 passes to wide receivers other than Lamb, Cooks and Gallup.