What Martavis Bryant could bring to the Cowboys’ offense

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The reinstatement of Martavis Bryant into the NFL has sparked widespread conversations about where he might end up.

It’s been a while since we’ve heard his name called in an NFL game, going back to 2018 when he was with the Raiders in Oakland.

According to The Athletics’ Dianna Russini the 31-year-old will get a workout with the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday as he seeks to return to the NFL.

Bryant was suspended by the NFL for violating the drug police in September 2018.

In December 2018 Bryant received an indefinite suspension for violating the terms of his conditional reinstatement.

While he’s not been in the NFL since that he has been playing in other leagues.

Most recently, he was selected fifth overall at the XFL Skill Players Draft by the Vegas Vipers, playing eight games there and racking up 14 catches for 154 yards.

He also had brief stints in the Canadian Football League (CFL) having been released by the Toronto Argonauts for failing to report to training camp in 2021, while the Edmonton Elks let him go in May 2022.

What Bryant brings to the table

His most prominent attribute is that he’s a deep threat, capable of making big plays.

During his time in Pittsburgh, the six-foot-four receiver caught 126 passes for 1,917 yards and 17 touchdowns.

In the three years that he featured as a Steeler, he averaged over a dozen yards per catch and had a league-high 21.1 yards-per-reception in his 2014 rookie campaign.

He’s put up over 2,000 yards receiving in his NFL career, and has terrific breakaway speed despite being over 30 (31).

As for what he might add to the Cowboys, Bryant wouldn’t be the go-to guy for Dak Prescott as CeeDee Lamb has earned that title with his outstanding performances over the past few weeks.

Bryant could, however, be a solid secondary or third option in the Texas Coast offense.

He’d be competing with the likes of Michael Gallup and Brandin Cooks but if he’s fit and can get back to the form we saw in Pittsburgh, he could open up their passing game.

After eight games this season, Lamb leads the Cowboys in receiving yards (824), while tight end Jake Ferguson is next with nearly 500 fewer yards through the air (328).

No one has emerged as a #2 receiver for Mike McCarthy’s offense, and it’s a role that Bryant would be accustomed to.

Bryant was selected in the fourth round by Pittsburgh in 2014, and in his NFL playing days, he’s put up some solid numbers.

He was always the second or third look for Ben Roethlisberger, while Antonio Brown was usually the top dog on that roster.

Although he’s never played an entire NFL season, Bryant picked up over 500 yards through the air in his three campaigns with the Steelers.

One area he’ll have to improve in his Cowboys workout is the ability to make catches consistently.

In three of his four NFL seasons, Bryant has over 20 drops.

Commissioner Roger Goodell opened the door for him to return; the Cowboys gave him a shot, and now it’s up to him to deliver.