The 2020 offseason has officially started for the Dallas Cowboys. Aside from dealing with contracts on third-string offensive linemen and a fullback, we now have our first conduct issue as second-year receiver Ventell Bryant was arrested this morning on a misdemeanor DUI charge.
The arrest occurred early Wednesday in Tampa, Bryant’s hometown.
Some of you may be saying, ‘Who?” But while not a big part of the 2019 roster, Ventell did appear n 12 games as a special teamer and even caught a touchdown in the Thanksgiving game; his only catch and target all season.
Bryant joined the Cowboys last year after failing to make the Bengals’s roster as an undrafted free agent. He spent a month on Dalllas’ practice squad but was called up for special teams duty in Week 5. He dressed for every game the rest of the season.
While under contract for 2020 and expected to be in training camp to compete for a roster spot, Ventell’s arrest today does not help. It is especially bad if new Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy wants to send a message to the rest of his roster about personal conduct issues.
A Dez or even Antonio Bryant would easily get away with something like this. But for a guy at the bottom of the depth chart, Ventell may be more valuable as an example.
However, with Amari Cooper, Randall Cobb, and Tavon Austin all free agents this year, Dallas can’t be too flippant about their depth. Bryant is one of the few receivers left who’s actually played in a real game and his special teams role is also important.
Hopefully this is just a simple slip-up that doesn’t do major damage to Ventell Bryant’s job security with the Cowboys or his overall career. We’ll see how the league and the team handle it in the months to come.
