Friday, March 19, 2010

Sources: Receiver Dez Bryant to visit Dallas Cowboys

DALLAS -- Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant, whose draft stock is uncertain, will visit the Dallas Cowboys' practice facilities at Valley Ranch on April 1, according to multiple sources.

Bryant will have a personal workout for NFL teams March 30 in his hometown of Lufkin, Texas, before going to Valley Ranch. His agent, Eugene Parker, said that Bryant will not work out for the Cowboys. Players cannot have private workouts without a special waiver from the NFL.

Bryant, projected to be the first wide receiver taken in the upcoming NFL draft, did not work out at the NFL scouting combine or at Oklahoma State's pro day because of a recent hamstring injury, which has given several teams pause.


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Receiver Dez Bryant to visit Dallas Cowboys

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Most NFL teams will try to bring in or talk to as many projected draft picks as possible. But the Cowboys, who have the No. 27 pick this year, haven't used a first-round draft pick on a wide receiver since 1991, when Dallas selected Alvin Harper with the 12th overall pick.

Wide receiver is an interesting position for the Cowboys, as starters Miles Austin and Roy E. Williams are entering different stages of their careers.

The Cowboys believe Austin, after his breakout Pro Bowl season, is on the rise. Williams' value to the team, however, is uncertain after consecutive seasons of inconsistent play. The team's younger receivers -- Sam Hurd and Kevin Ogletree -- and veteran No. 3 wideout Patrick Crayton are still valued.

Adding a top receiver in Bryant, should he fall to the bottom half of the first round, would make for an intriguing decision for the Cowboys. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones has said in the past that drafting a wide receiver in the first round is difficult, given how long it takes for players at that position to develop and the amount of money a team has to give out.

The Cowboys drafted Oklahoma wide receiver Manuel Johnson last year in the seventh round. He spent the season on the practice squad.



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