WR Dez Bryant Makes A Great First Impression

Jul 25, 2010

You know what people say about first impressions.

You don’t get a second chance to make a good one.

Dallas Cowboys rookie Dez Bryant made sure he got off to a good start on the first day of training camp Saturday, taking the field some 45 minutes before practice at the Alamodome.

Bryant wasn’t just early for practice, he was the first player on the field.

"I just wanted to show everybody that I’m ready to go, ready to play," Bryant said after the Cowboys opened their fifth training camp in San Antonio. "I’m ready to do whatever they ask me to do. I just want to work hard and give 100 percent. I want to bring my ‘A’ game every day."

Bryant was an instant hit with the record crowd of 19,437, drawing cheers every time he caught a pass. Fast and quick, Bryant looked smooth as he came out of his cuts and wowed fans with several nifty catches.

In one drill, he brought a pass down with one hand near the sideline and stayed inbounds.

"I had a good time," Bryant said. "It’s great to play in front of so many fans. They gave me great support. I owe it to the fans to work hard when I’m out there."

Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said he wasn’t surprised to see Bryant connect with the crowd.

"People recognized him," Phillips said. "They know he’s our No. 1 draft pick. What they see is a guy running and catching the ball, and they don’t look at whether he’s being covered. They just saw him catching those passes. I thought he gave good effort and caught the ball well, but I’ll have to look at the film of practice and see how he ran all his routes."

That said, Phillips left no doubt what he thinks of Bryant’s talent.

"He looked as good as any player at any position, on the first day, as anybody I’ve seen in a long time," Phillips said. "He’s got a lot of ability."

Fantasy Impact:

Right now Bryant's stock is higher in keeper leagues, but if he wins the starting job opposite Miles Austin his stock will rise in redraft leagues. He's currently at 54 in our rankings, with his competition for the starting job, Roy Williams, at 45. They could easily flip-flop before the regular season begins.

today

Chiefs WR Hollywood Brown's practice window to open "Friday or Monday"

Ian Rapoport

2 hours ago

Chiefs WR Hollywood Brown has received final clearance to practice, paving the way for him to play before the regular season ends.

Brown, who is recovering from surgery to repair his SC joint, should have his window opened Friday or Monday. The team will be cautious.

Fantasy Impact:

If Brown were cleared by Week 17, he would be incredibly tough to start in pretty much any sort of fantasy league with Championships on the line. However, he could be an interesting click for Playoff-only leagues if he can ramp up in time.

Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker misses second straight practice

Adam Schefter

2 hours ago

For a second straight day today, Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III didn’t practice due to his calf injury.

Related Players: Zach Charbonnet, Kenny McIntosh

Fantasy Impact:

Looks like things should be cleared out for Charbonnet once again in what could be a very close game against the Packers. If Walker misses Week 15, fire Charbs up as a high-end RB2.

49ers RB Isaac Guerendo, Nick Bosa, and Dre Greenlaw active for Week 15

Lindsey Pallares

3 hours ago

In Week 15, the red and gold have defensive lineman Nick Bosa and linebacker Dre Greenlaw active and ready for the team's second meeting with their NFC West rival, the Los Angeles Rams.

On the other side of the ball, the 49ers will have rookie running back Isaac Guerendo available against the Rams. He was listed as questionable on Wednesday on account of a foot sprain but was given the green light to play ahead of "Thursday Night Football."

Fantasy Impact:

We do expect Guerendo to handle the majority workload for TNF, but you do have to wonder if he gets the same type of workload he would have, had he avoided the injury report all week. Consider him closer to an RB3 than a locked-in RB2 he otherwise would have been.