I think it is both a lack of ability and motivation to learn. I completely agree with your statement in another thread about him being like an 8 year old.

That guy really needs a father figure, or a big brother; it's a shame that he looks to Deion Sanders as that guy.

I feel for him for the fact that he did grow up without a dad, and now with the learning disability thing coming out, however, you can't feel sympathy in this league, and with that said, he is not worth the 12 pick.

Phins Rock, that is your opinion on Dez Bryant. There is a chance that he is selected before Miami at #12.

His talent and production certainly justify taking him at #12. There is a good chance that Miami will not select him because in the 19 drafts that Parcells has been involved in as a coach or management position only 2 WR's have been drafted and Parcells did not want Terry Glenn, who turned out to be an excellent NFL WR by the way.

There are maturity issues, yes, but this is not a bad kid. A strong organization like Miami would be good for Bryant, but I don't think he ends up in Miami.

I don't know, Tony. Everything right now is pointing to a serious problem child. Add millions of dollars in his bank and see if that is a recipe for maturity.

Whining,.... really? We live in a world of internet, twitter, blogs and all other electronic media. This 20 year old young man responds to a negative media blitz against him and he's a whiner? Where I grew up, standing up for yourself didn't constitute whining. This is the time of year where football fanatics don't have much going on. So the media plays up on that makes mountains out of mole hills. The media isn't going to write something positive about this guy because thats not whats selling right now.

Ever heard of the saying, "Just shut up and play?"

Ever heard of the saying, "Just shut up and play?"[/quote]

Phins,
I don't post a lot but I do come on here nearly everyday to check out news on my Dolphins. Ever since the Matty Ice love fest I've seen you respond adamantly to every single negative post against you. Its not "whining" if you respond to negative things written about yourself in the media that you believe to be untrue. Have you ever heard the saying, "practice what you preach" or how about "whats good for the goose is good for the gander". My bottom line is this, we've got a lot of holes to fill so I'm not going to be dissapointed as long as we go BPA with the 12th. I just don't like all the negative piling on by the media and some people on this site against a kid thats never had a run-in with the law.

Thanks you.


It's not about the fact that he responded, (although I still think he should have just kept quiet), it is the way he answered. He was not classy, intelligent, or mature. He answered, like iowa said, like an 8 year old.

Last year, when Vontae was getting treated poorly by the media too, (probably twice as bad as Dez), the guy handled it with nothing but class, didn't complain, and came into the season smiling and wide eyed. Dez does not have that same type of attitude.

Again, I do feel sorry for Dez and his past, but I think PFT was right on the money with their article. Dez just needs to shut up and not make the situation even worse.

It doesn't take run-ins with the law for somebody to be a cancer and a bad character player. Laziness, immaturity, and complete disregard and carelessness for his team and teammates, to me, are worse than Brandon Marshall's troubles.

Phins,
I have to be honest here. I enjoy your posts, ensight to the game, diehard Dolphin Fan, etc.. but Laziness , complete disregard and carelessness for his team and team mates?- were you at all the OSU practices, are you guys room mates? Come on.

What else would you call skipping meetings, practices, showing up 30 minutes before a game?? How is that last one even possible in college; aren't you supposed to travel together??

Former teammates and coaches have been saying that they were worried he wouldn't even show up to games sometimes, and warm-ups prior to.

Tennessee man, I'm not trying to pick a fight with you here. But you can't ignore the stories that have come out.

Phins, one question here for you. Have any of these stories of Dez being late and missing practices, have ANY of these stories been validated by Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy? I don't recall seeing his name associated with any of these stories.

Dave, Dez Bryant has no criminal record. Is there a maturity issue and could he do better job of choosing the people he associates with, most definitely. But understand that this is a kid that went a stretch without a mother because she was in prison for selling drugs and his father was no where to be seen. Those are not the best of circumstances to go from a child to a young man with values, solid values in place.

Also consider this. The Dolphins were pretty serious about Percy Harvin last year and this is a kid that had issues of violence in high school, drug issues in college and failed the drug test at the combine for marijuana.

And while I don't do this to often, I will defend Deion Sanders. I still blame Sanders for Bryant's suspension because how many of these college kids know the rules of contact with former athletes. The kid panicked because he thought he was getting OSU in trouble and lied. That does not excuse what he did and how he handled it, but if Deion is going to call himself being mentor for these kids, he needs to know what is the NCAA rules are.

Deion does indeed try to work with these kids, but in a lot of cases it is very hard to try to change a young man ways when there was no structure in there lives when they were young. Adam Jones is a kid that had a horrible youth and it shows. Your values are set in your youth, the discipline that you have and knowing right from wrong are instilled in you as a youth.

As far as Dez commenting on the negativity surrounding him right now, I also wish he would have just let it go. But this is were his immaturity can get him in trouble, but I also understand that it is hard to read and be constantly trashed and attacked. We have had some pretty heated arguments on these boards between posters, so we should know what the young man feels. I would hope Eugene Parker will talk with Dez and let him know that he just needs to continue to work and prepare and be ready for his individual meetings with teams.

As far as sympathy in the NFL, it does not exist. What the NFL is definitely about is finding kids that can play the game of football, kids that can be a difference maker in the NFL. You look on all of these various sites and there boards and there top 100, top 50, you will see Dez Bryant in those top 10-12 list. Dez Bryant is an elite talent, don't make a mistake about that or twist that.

Once again, I will be a little surprised if Dez is the pick because of Parcells history of drafting wide receivers. But Sparano has acknowledged that a big play receiver is needed, and if he is there and you go by BPA, there are not going to be to many players if any on the board at #12 that are better than Bryant.

I used" The Google" and I found nothing other than rumors and "stories". I'm sure any team looking hard at Bryant has or will have a talk with his coach, I would think.....No doubt who ever does pick him, they're gonna get a guy that's gonna want to prove eveyone wrong.

Good post Tone....

I agree with a lot of what you said here man.

No, the stories have not been "validated", but this is not media speculation like Vontae last year; this is former teammates being quoted as saying these things; former coaches being quoted as saying these things.

I feel for the guy because of his background, but this is a serious business, and sympathy, like you said, doesn't fly. From a Bill Parcells standpoint, it does not matter whether he grew up with both parents, brother and sisters in a rural area, or grew up on the streets with cousins who dealed crack to get by. If he does not have it mentally, he does not have it, and we have to move on from him.

No doubt, Dez is an immense talent. In the last 7 drafts, I would say that he is the 2nd best WR to come out, talent wise, only behind Calvin Johnson. I think he is the 4th most talented player in this draft, and would definitely be the BAA at 12. Would he really be the BPA though, Tony?

This draft is too good and too deep to be taking risks in the first round. Miami has a great chance to fill a lot of needs with very solid players. I don't think they should be taking that big of a chance at 12.

I would say though that from Dez's standpoint, the Dolphins would be the ideal team. He would have the discipline put in place that he clearly did not have growing up or in College.

And Tony, we don't know if Miami was serious about Harvin. That could have been a smokescreen. Clay Mathews certainly was....

Former teammates? How do we know these former teammates don't have an ax to grind. Like I have stated on numerous occasions, these teams have former police detectives and all kind of access to finding out and verifying fact from fiction.

Also, I was one that defended Vontae on this board pretty strongly, but he most definitely had the issue with Ron Zook and was benched. Yes, as we found out, the other information put out there was proven to not be the case, but there were folks on the board that did not want Davis to be the pick and bought into the negative propaganda around Vontae.

All I have ever said is let the Dolphins do there job and investigate Dez Bryant. So far the regime is 2 for 2 in there 1st round selections. If the don't select Dez, it will be because they don't believe he is worth taking the chance on considering the monetary investment.

As far as do I think he would be the BPA if he get's to Miami at #12, most certainly. Gerald McCoy will be gone, Suh, Berry, Morgan possibly. BPA at a position of need. The talent is there, and more importantly, the production and game film is there.

I'm not so sure he's sticking up for himself. He was responding to the media blitz about his "poor 40 time" and forgetting his cleats. He admits to forgetting his cleats, and asks how that at all relates to football.
Well, you have to have cleats when you're on the football field. Football is about discipline...will he forget a route he's suppose to run, and then when the media calls him out for it will he say "I ain't never got in trouble with nobody!"?

Even then, he has gotten in trouble...with the NCAA. That involves football...he was suspended, from the game that he's going to be drafted for. And he wants to know what it has to do with football? Stick up for yourself, sure, but he just seemed to be mad at other people for his own mistakes....that to me is ridiculously immature.

If he thinks the critics are out line, don't come up with an argument that is contradictory to your own cause....go out and show everybody what you supposedly think is a great receiver in yourself.

Iowafin, he had dinner with Deion Sanders and lied to the NCAA about it because he thought it was a violation. I don't think a large majority of people thought that deserved a suspension for the rest of the year, but maybe you do.

I understand the concerns and I have said that until I have turned blue in the face. I just want the Dolphins to do there due dilligence and investigate his background and baggage just like they do all players and specifically Vontae Davis. Vontae had a lot swirling around him as well.

If they don't draft him, I can live with it. But he is more than talented enough and fits the BPA if he is there at #12 for Miami. He hits one of the NEED areas for this team. He is a top 10 talent.

I feel the same way.....if they check into his history and find some big red flags that say the kid will not get beyond his past and pass on him then so be it. If his issues are solely with immaturity and they believe he can get past them, then go get him if he's there at #12!