Free agent wide receiver Dez Bryant may want to join the San Francisco 49ers, but the desire may not be mutual. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that general manager John Lynch and company are excited about the group of receivers currently on the team and aren't likely to pursue the former Dallas Cowboy.
Pelissero believes Bryant is the type of player who former 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh might have been interested in but that simply isn't the case for the current regime.
"John Lynch, the 49ers GM, did a lot of Dez Bryant's games at his peak when Lynch was a broadcaster," Pelissero said on NFL Network. "There's a respect there, but my understanding is the 49ers love their receiver group as it is with Pierre Garçon, Marquise Goodwin, they drafted wide receiver Dante Pettis in the second round. (It's) unlikely they're going down the Dez Bryant road anytime soon."
A fan asked Bryant over the weekend which team he wants to play for. "49ers," answered Bryant via the Instagram post before promptly deleting the response.
Pelissero spoke with a high-ranking NFL scout about Bryant. He shared what that scout had to say.
"He's a physical, possession type of receiver," Pelissero said. "He does not scare you in terms of his speed as a vertical threat. He's still going to compete for 50/50 balls, but he's not going to win them as consistently as he used to. So if Dez Bryant is out there thinking that he's going to get something similar in money to the last contract that he had, he's probably going to be sitting out there a lot longer."
Bryant, who had a base salary of $12.5 million and a cap number of $16.5 million in 2018, was released by the Cowboys on April 13. His yardage total ranks fifth all-time in franchise history.
Don't hold your breath on Dez Bryant joining the team he (apparently?) wants. Never say never, but #49ers really like their WR group, unlikely to go down that road for now. @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/71Vr5szWo5
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 29, 2018