A league source tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that the Browns’ interest in free agent WR Dez Bryant could pick up next week after the vested veteran guarantee expires.
Cabot explains that if the Browns were to sign Bryant before their first game, his entire 2018 salary could become guaranteed. However, the total guarantees included in a veteran’s contract will be reduced to 25 percent after Week 1.
Browns GM John Dorsey on Tuesday recently addressed their interest in Bryant saying: “It’s a week-to-week thing. Who’s to say I won’t call Dez on Tuesday and see how it’s going.”
Last we heard, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that the Browns offered free agent Bryant a contract with a base value of less than $5 million. According to Florio, Bryant is believed to be waiting for a better team, and likely a better offer to surface before signing.
Bryant reportedly turned down a three-year, $21 million offer from the Ravens after he was released a few months ago. Since then, the market has been very slow-moving for Bryant, so it shouldn’t come as a big surprise to hear that he may end up waiting another month or so before signing.
Bryant, 29, is a former first-round pick of the Cowboys back in 2010. He was in the third year of his five-year, $70 million contract that included $45 million guaranteed and was set to make base salaries of $12.5 million over the final two years of the agreement when Dallas released him in a move that freed up $8.5 million of available cap space.
In 2017, Bryant has appeared in 15 games for the Cowboys and has caught 66 passes for 814 yards receiving and six touchdowns. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 45 receiver out of 116 qualifying players.
We have him featured in our Top 50 Available 2018 NFL Free Agents list.
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