Based on everything he's done on the practice field, I can attest Bryant is a future star in the NFL. He looks like a sure-fire future Pro Bowler, and if he stays healthy the kid has a great chance to be Offensive Rookie of the Year. But notice the qualifier there - if he stays healthy - because right now, two weeks ahead of his regular season debut, I'm beginning to have my doubts, as are some within the organization.
A worthy comparison is Felix Jones, who showed absolutely stunning ability his first year, but eventually succumbed to a hamstring injury, which led to a season-ending toe fracture while he was rehabbing. A sprained PCL cost Jones two games last year, and limited him for another six weeks or so, until he could shed his cumbersome knee brace. Jones and Bryant are two different guys, of course, but Bryant has already shown he too can be derailed by nagging injuries.
Bryant had his own hamstring injury that cost him what would have ultimately been his final game at Oklahoma State before the season-ending suspension last year. That lingered from September through March, and kept him from working out at the NFL Scouting Combine. The same hamstring cost him time in Organized Team Activities and the veteran minicamp this spring. Between the hammy, a stomach illness, a rolled ankle and what was reported as a minor hip injury, he missed six of a possible 16 practices with veterans.
Of course, he had the high ankle sprain just six days into training camp in San Antonio, but that was something of a freak injury, with Orlando Scandrick falling on him and twisting his lower right leg awkwardly. His ankle is fine now, otherwise he wouldn't be cleared to practice on Tuesday. If he holds up at Valley Ranch, he should be able to play in Thursday's preseason finale against Miami. That doesn't mean he will, necessarily.
As eager as he is to get back, wanting to get a feel for an NFL game, there might not be a whole lot of benefit to it. There's a better-than-zero chance the Dolphins sit their starters, so even if he gets to work with the first offense, Bryant will not really get to experience competition from top talent. The Cowboys want him 100 percent by Sept. 12 at Washington.
"I still want to get feedback from the doctors and the rehab people as to where he is and what the risks are," Wade Phillips said. "I think you have to take that into consideration certainly, and whether in another week and a half he'll be stronger or is the same."
If it were up to me Bryant wouldn't be on the field. We know he can beat the Cowboys' depth guys like Cletis Gordon and Bryan McCann, so there's no reason to believe the Dolphins backups would have any better luck. Maybe he just wants to acquire the confidence of having done it in a game setting, but in my view that's not necessary. By watching him in practice, it's obvious he's going to succeed.
Exactly how much success he has right away depends on the amount of time he's on the field, though. The number of practices missed and the inactivity for most of last season and into the spring give reason to believe his body, while fit, is not completely in NFL game shape. Having missed so much of training camp, it's hard to imagine his stamina is where it needs to be for him to thrive as an every down guy at this point. It's a good thing the Cowboys still have Patrick Crayton, actually, because Bryant might not be able to return punts and still uphold the No. 3 receiver's share of the snaps. Don't be surprised if they split those duties about evenly.
We'll see if Bryant is able to handle the grind of a 16-game schedule, a difficult adjustment for many rookies. Just look at the Cowboys draft classes the last two years. Of the 12 players they picked in 2009, six missed at least one preseason or regular season game because of injury. Bryant and four other rookies from the six-man 2010 class will have missed preseason games now that Sam Young has been ruled out for Miami. Cornerback Jamar Wall is the only one who has remained healthy since camp got underway.
Six wide receivers were selected in the first round in 2009, combining for nine missed games their rookie year, not counting the holdout of Michael Crabtree. The most explosive of the crop, Minnesota's Percy Harvin only sat out one game, but was questionable virtually every week as the season went on. Bryant will be a sensation if he can avoid that sort of nagging pain, or until he realizes how to play through it.
Many young players have to learn the difference between being hurt and being injured, and how much pain they can play with and tolerate. Jones, for instance, needed some time to figure out how to take care of his body after a practice, after a game, and during the week.
On the bus from Reliant Stadium to the airport this weekend, I listened to DeMarcus Ware describe to one of Bryant's fellow rookies all the things he does to keep himself healthy, including weekly massages and chiropractic work. The rookie's first question was whether the team insurance plan covered the stuff, or if it came out of Ware's pocket. Ware told him it was worth the money. They'll learn, Bryant included, but it may take a season or two.
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