Dez Bryant is amazing. We all know that. However, what might be most amazing about him is his ability to produce despite the lack of a legitimate and consistent secondary receiver.
The top five WRs, ranked by receiving yards, are currently:
- Julio Jones
- Antonio Brown
- DeAndre Hopkins
- Odell Beckham Jr.
- Allen Robinson
Taking a closer look at the team stats for all of these teams (Falcons, Steelers, Texans, Giants, and Jaguars) reveals one thing. All five teams have a second target with at least 500 receiving yards.
Julio Jones is likely the most impressive, topping the list while having tight end Jacob Tamme exceed 500 yards.
Now, let's look at Dez Bryant's best season since Terrance Williams joined the Cowboys. That would be 2014, when Bryant totaled 1,320 yards and 16 touchdowns. That season, Terrance Williams totaled 621 receiving yards.
However, that was through a full 16 games. With all of the secondary receivers on the team's listed above being already over 500, there is a strong chance that they will all finish with over 621 total.
Williams was also wildly inconsistent that season, failing to surpass 20 yards on five different occasions.
After this season, Dez Bryant has four years remaining on his mega-contract. The key to the Cowboys getting their maximum value out of this deal may rest on their ability to quickly bring in a viable and long-term second target. Terrance Williams will have one more season to prove that he can be that guy before his contract runs out and a decision must be made.
Dallas might also draft another target in this year's draft, with Ole Miss WR Laquon Treadwell drawing comparisons to Bryant already.
Take the single greatest receiving season in Cowboys history – which was Michael Irvin going for 1,603 yards in the 1995 Super Bowl season – and look at their second leading receiver. A guy by the name of Jay Novacek stands out, who surpassed 700 yards and was a five-time Pro Bowl player as a tight end.
Kevin Williams, in his second to last season in Dallas as a WR, also went over 600 yards that season.
The Cowboys have their new #88. The question is, do they have his partner in crime in Terrance Williams?
