Did Dez Bryant do the right thing?

I was going to write tonight's post about the NBA, but another story caught my attention so I've decided to run with it.  Earlier this week, the Dallas Cowboys had some unusual drama at their training camp.  Their rookie first-round draft pick wide receiver Dez Bryant refused to carry the shoulder pads of veteran wide receiver Roy Williams.  Before I go into my opinion on Bryant's action, a little back story is necessary. 

In the NFL, veteran players commonly haze rookies at training camp (as well as throughout the year).  They do this to show the rookies that no matter how great they were in college, the NFL is a whole different ball game.  The higher a player is drafted, the worse his hazing is.  Common hazing includes setting up meeting rooms, getting everyone is your position group's breakfast, paying for dinners for the whole team, and of course, carrying the veterans pads to and from practice. 

A little knowledge of both characters is also necessary.  Roy Williams is a veteran wide receiver who the Dallas Cowboys traded an arm and a leg to get from the Detroit Lions two years ago.  He was brought in to replace the recently departed Terrell Owens as Dallas's #1 receiver.  Before last season, he signed a 6 year, $54 million contract that cemented his status as the Cowboys' top target.  Then, last year he played terribly and was replaced by Miles Austin as Tony Romo's top target.  Now, Roy Williams is fighting for his starting job with none other than Dez Bryant.  Bryant is a former Oklahoma State player who was suspended for most of last year's college football season for accepting advice from Deion Sanders in a way that violated NCAA rules.  That trangression, and others, have given Bryant the reputation of being a rule-breaker and a difficult player to manage.  Still, he is as talented as former Cowboy Michael Irvin, so Dallas decided to take him in the first round.

What separates this situation from most rookie situations is that high-profile rookies and high-profile veterans rarely compete for starting jobs during training camp.  Usually first rounders are handed a starting job from day 1 or they wait a year or two behind an established veteran before starting.  In either of these situations, hazing is to be expected and the rookie would be smart to take it and go about his business.  But Bryant's situation is exceptional.  He is competing with Williams for a starting spot and playing time and is looking for any edge to put himself over the top.  By refusing Williams request he did two things.  First, he got inside Williams' head by rejecting the NFL status quo.  Second, and more importantly, he made a statement to Roy Williams that Dez Bryant is not some rookie to be looked down; rather, he is an equal to be respected and possibly even feared.  Bryant said that he came to training camp to win a starting job, not to carry pads.  After the athletic love fest we've experienced the last few months (that means you Miami Thrice), it is refreshing to see athletes who still want to compete, sportsmanship be damned.  You go Dez Bryant!

Best of the NFL Offseason

We've seen the draft and we've seen plenty of free agency. So which moves were good and which moves were bad? Here are the 3 best moves of this NFL offseason:

Best:

1) Panthers draft Jimmy Clausen with the 48th overall pick: For most of the year, Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen were considered equally likely to go #1. Then, due to some "leadership issues", Clause collapsed down the draft boards. He fell so far that he was drafted significantly after a QB without the skills needed to started in the NFL. However, Jimmy's apparent loss is actually a win for both the Panthers and Jimmy. The Panthers were able to draft a franchise QB in the 2nd round. Clausen produced monster numbers in a pro-style offense. H also showed a knack for playing under pressure. Notre Dame's poor record was not his fault. He basically spent his college career playing without a defense. Now the Panthers can enter the year with a competition between Matt Moore and Clausen. Even if Moore proves to be a quality starter in his own right, the Panthers can trade one or sit back knowing they have too quality starters. And for Clausen, rather than joining an awful team with holes all over the board, he is joining a fringe playoff contender needing only a steady QB. If any QB from this year's draft is going to go the route of Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, and Mark Sanchez, it will be Clausen. While I'm sure he envies Bradford's money, he just rest easy knowing he is in a much better situation.

2) Eagles trade Donovan McNabb to the Redskins for a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th round pick: I am simply amazed with how poorly the Eagles have treated McNabb throughout his tenure with them. They booed him when he was drafted and it has been all down hill from there. Most fans would kill for the decade the Eagles have had with McNabb. Instead, Eagles fans have whined and moaned every step of the way. He has led them to 5 NFC East titles and an NFC Conference Championship. He continues to play at an extremely high level. And yet, the Eagles let him go in order to play a young QB who has had a couple good games but has never shown any indication of being able to start full-time. And in a city as cut-throat as Philly (they booed Santa Claus for God's sake!) Make no mistake, I understand they needed to trade one of the two Qbs. I would have traded the unproven youth over the franchise star, but I guess thats why I'm not a GM. From Washington's point of view, they basically committed a highway robbery of the Eagles. It boggles my mind that the Eagles would trade a franchise QB to a division rival and not even get a 1st rounder in return. They will see their error when Washington finishes ahead of Philly this year despite a less talented roster overall. I cannot wait until McNabb makes his return to Lincoln field. Should be a treat!

3) Raiders trade Jason Campbell to the Redskins for a 4th-round pick: Every columnist in the country has already said this, but surprise, surprise the Raiders made a good offseason move! While he is definitely not an elite starter, Campbell is a very legitimate NFL starter. Seeing as how even Bruce Gradkowski could win a couple games with the Raiders last year, Campbell could make this team relevant for the first time in years. The cherry on the top for the Raiders is the fact that their acquisition of Campbell allowed them to release good-for-nothing former #1 pick JaMarcus Russell. [This trade also brings up a side point about the NFL I've always wondered about. Isn't it incredible how little most NFL players fetch in open market trades? Most fans can agree that a legitimate starting NFL QB is worth a 1st round pick. And yet, Campbell was only worth a 4th rounder? This same rule extends beyond the QB position. Sure Hall of Famer and elite wide receiver Randy Moss also fetched only a 4th rounder on his way out of Oakland. Star safety Kerry Rhodes was traded for a 4th rounder and a 7th rounder. And yet, the Chiefs spent the #5 overall pick on a safety who most likely will have nearly the same value. I could go on about this topic forever (I most likely will devote a post to it at some point) but I just find it odd that the value of draft picks versus active players in the NFL seems so inconsistent.]