Dez Bryant tweets 'Baltimore wasn't the place for me' originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Ravens wide receiver Dez Bryant pretty much confirmed he’s headed for free agency this offseason with his contract set to expire once the NFL new year begins on March 17.
“I was in a position where everything was already established,” Bryant wrote in a response to a fan. “I took advantage of getting myself right.. I realized quick Baltimore wasn’t the place for me.”
Bryant, 32, signed a one-year, $1.05 million deal with the Ravens this past season as part of an arduous comeback to the NFL. First a member of Baltimore’s practice squad in October, the Ravens signed Bryant to the 53-man roster a month later.
After playing in just two snaps in his first NFL game since the 2017 season in Week 9, Bryant’s real return came a week later when he had a season-high four receptions and 28 yards on five catches in Baltimore’s loss to the Titans. Bryant was used sparingly in the following weeks but did catch back-to-back touchdowns in Weeks 15 and 16.
After Dallas cut Bryant following the 2017 season, Bryant tore his Achilles before ever registering a snap with the Saints. Perhaps most notably this season, Bryant was a late scratch due to inconclusive PCR tests on gameday against his former Cowboys during a Week 13 Tuesday night game, after which he almost quit in frustration.
The former Cowboys star’s quote tweet came in response to what was originally a Willie Snead IV tweet, who apparently has also taken issue with the way he was utilized in the Ravens’ run-centric offense.
“Any receiver can be a “true #1”, if they are in a system that allows them to be.. what they do after that is on him,” Snead tweeted.
Bryant continued to respond to fans’ tweets on Tuesday, saying his demotion to No. 4 on the wide receiver depth chart was due to his teammates understanding offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s concepts better. Bryant admitted coming into a new situation halfway through the season didn’t help, but expressed his gratitude for the opportunity.
While fans have called for getting 2019 MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson more help in the receiving corps in addition to Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, Ravens’ general manager Eric DeCosta has remained steadfast in his vision for the team.
“I think one of the things, as you think about the passing game, is we throw the ball a lot less than a lot of other teams do. That’s by design; we’re a running football team,” DeCosta told media last month when discussing offseason priorities.
If not with Baltimore, Bryant still wants to play in the league for at least another two seasons.
