Dez Bryant suffered a broken foot Sunday night against the Giants in the Dallas Cowboys’ home opener at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The star WR will need surgery and will be out 4-6 weeks. The good news is that the Cowboys overcame some self inflicted wounds to pull out yet another 4th quarter, comeback win for QB Tony Romo, 27-26. One HUGE question remains…
How do you replace Dez Bryant??
There is no clear cut answer to this query. Dez Bryant is a man among boys and one of the best receivers in the league. And that goes without argument. But with rosters set in stone and the trade deadline weeks away, WWJD?? (That J is Jerry, BTW)
1. Terrance Williams
The Cowboys’ offense is going to be attacked differently with Bryant out, and Romo should expect to see more ‘8-man box’ looks. Opponents won’t need to assign a safety to 88, so that frees him up to get active in the run game. Cue Terrance Williams. T-Wil has to take advantage of the one-on-one coverage and make defenses play honest.
2. Everybody Else
Younger pass catchers like Devin Street will be thrust into the lineup and will have to mature quickly. It’s not fair to expect Bryant-like production from Street, but you have to get some ROI from him when on the field.
3. Some Geek Off the Street
I wouldn’t be surprised if Dallas didn’t kick tires on a few veteran free agent WRs. Possibly ones that have a history in the offense… Eh hem. The vet wouldn’t be guaranteed his whole salary, and could bring some much needed leadership to the room. Also, his understanding of the game will allow him to step in right away like James Jones did for the Packers in the early game.
Dallas will need a group effort to replace Bryant’s impact. Tony must be better with the football, and everyone from Travis Frederick to Lance Dunbar must be on their A game. Even Scott Linehan must find ways to generate offensive firepower with 88 on the sidelines in the newest retro (oxymoron) Jays.
This is already gearing up to be one hell of an NFL season, especially in Big D.
