The quest for Martavis Bryant to play in NFL games again continues. The former Raiders wide receiver hasn’t played a regular season game since 2018 but did spend some time last year on the Dallas Cowboys‘ practice squad.
While he wasn’t able to get on the field to show what he can do, another team is giving him a chance. The Washington Commanders announced on August 13 that they’ve signed Bryant to a contract.
We have made the following roster moves:
— Signed WR Martavis Bryant
— Released K Ramiz Ahmed
This will be the first time he’s on a preseason roster since 2018. He may even have a chance to play in one of the final two preseason games for Washington. Bryant had previously been suspended multiple times for violation of the league’s drug policy.
After it was clear he wasn’t getting much interest from the NFL, he decided to play in the Canadian Football League. He also played for the Indoor Football League, Fan Controlled Football and XFL.
He’s 32 now so his window is closing to make an active NFL roster. The Cowboys were a 12-5 team last season that didn’t need much help. The Commanders had the second-worst record in the NFL last season so there may be more of an opportunity for him to see the field.
Why Hasn’t Hunter Renfrow Been Signed?
It’s notable that Bryant is getting another shot while a different former Raiders wide receiver remains a free agent. Hunter Renfrow is just two seasons removed from a Pro Bowl year that saw him catch 103 passes.
However, the last two years were not kind to the wide receiver as he combined for 61 catches. That decline in production came after the Raiders transitioned from head coach Jon Gruden to head coach Josh McDaniels.
It’s possible that Renfrow is only a fit in a Gruden-style offense, which isn’t what the Commanders are going to run under offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. However, there are plenty of coaches from Gruden’s coaching tree who are still coaching in the NFL. Teams may simply be out on Renfrow after a couple of rough seasons. He’s still only 28 so there should be some juice left in the tank. It’s hard to imagine he doesn’t end up on a roster at some point this season.
Davante Adams Returns to Practice
The Raiders’ offense has been missing a key piece since the beginning of August as wide receiver Davante Adams was away from the team. He was awaiting the birth of his third child and it turned into a prolonged absence.
Fortunately for the Raiders, that absence is over. Head coach Antonio Pierce recently revealed that Adams has rejoined the team and his baby boy was born healthy.
“Davante [Adams] will be here today,” Pierce said during his August 11 press conference. “[I] Spoke to him after the game. He’s excited, he watched it and misses his teammates. Glad his baby boy’s here healthy.”
The Raiders offense has struggled in practice and not having Adams certainly made things harder. He’s the accomplished player on the entire offense and one of the highest-paid players on the team. He’ll have plenty of time before the regular season to get ready but it remains to be seen if he’ll play in the preseason.
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Controversial Ex-Raiders WR Signs Contract With Commanders