HERE’S WHY THE BROWNS ARE GOING AFTER DEZ BRYANT, ROB

By STEVE KING

My buddy, Rob, who was born, raised and still lives in the Detroit area, is a big fan of his hometown Lions.

But he is also a huge fan of the NFL as a whole, and every time he sees me, he asks me all kinds of questions about the Browns.

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He was already beginning to talk as he walked toward me.

“Are the Browns really going to go after Dez Bryant?” Rob asked me.

“Sure, they are? Why not?” I countered.

What Rob didn’t want to come out and say, but did anyway I n so many words, was, “You mean the Browns are willing to take on all the extra stuff – a lot of it not good – that Bryant brings?”

“Sure, they are. Why not?” I repeated.

“Here are the reasons:

“OK, so Bryant isn’t the player he once was, but he’s still good. He can still play.

“The Browns need players. They’ve blown enough top NFL Draft picks over the years in the expansion era to choke an elephant. Ever hear of a guy named Corey Coleman?

“They especially need players at wide receiver. Coleman is a wideout. So is Josh Gordon, whose return is uncertain. To say the Browns are thin there is an understatement.

“They need to win – NOW! Better players help you do that.

“Because of all that, they need to do all they can to sign Bryant and then manage him. They think they can do it. Head coach Hue Jackson is a people person. So is offensive coordinator Todd Haley. Plus quarterback Tyrod Taylor and wide receiver Jarvis Landry are good locker room guys who will help control the situation. Because it is to everyone’s benefit to make it work, the Browns – from top to bottom – will give it their best shot.

“And finally, signing Bryant — even just the attempt to do such – is a sign to everyone on the team that the Browns are serious about getting themselves turned around as soon as possible.”

Do you understand now, Rob? Well, do you?”