Dan Quinn has been making plenty of free-agent signings ever since he became head coach of the Washington Commanders, and given his former position with the Dallas Cowboys, it’s no shock that he would be going after former members of that team.
This started with the signing of defensive lineman Dorrance Armstrong, who was signed to a $22 million three-year contract. He continued by bringing in center Tyler Biadasz with a $9.75 million per year salary and a $20 million guarantee. He also brought in edge rusher Dante Fowler and cornerback/special teamer Noah Igbinoghene. It’s clear that Quinn is focused on stacking the roster with as many of his former team as possible, and this latest attempt definitely shows that intention. Quinn now has his eyes on former Cowboys wide receiver Martavis Bryant.
How Bryant Would Contribute to the Washington Commanders
Bryant was a fourth-round pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2014, and though he showed some promise early on, he was suspended for the rest of the 2016 season due to his violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. Bryant was reinstated ahead of the 2017 season and finished with a total of 50 receptions with 603 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
He was traded in 2018 to the then-Oakland Raiders for a third-round pick, but he was released before the beginning of the season due to yet another violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. Bryant was re-signed 10 days later and finished the season with 19 receptions and 266 receiving yards in the eight games he played that season. Bryant is clearly an asset reception-wise, but his trend of suspensions does not reflect well on him.
Bryant was out of football until 2021 when he was signed to the CFL team the Toronto Argonauts, but he never played a single game with the team, as he was suspended for not showing up to training camp. He jumped from team to team and even leagues before signing with the Cowboy’s practice squad in November of last year, making his return to the NFL.
Bryant has not played in an NFL game since 2018, and even then he spent a huge majority of his time suspended. Bryant was released from the practice squad in January to make room for La’el Collins, but he re-signed with the team on a futures deal for after the season. Quinn clearly sees something in Bryant and has reportedly worked him out on Wednesday, May 15th. Only time will tell if he ends up joining the already stacked roster of the Washington Commanders, but it seems the 32-year-old veteran isn’t quite done yet.
