BEREA, Ohio _ Free-agent wide receiver Dez Bryant is ready for some face time with the Browns and a closeup on Hard Knocks.
Bryant is scheduled to visit the Browns on Thursday, a person familiar with the meeting confirmed for the Beacon Journal/Ohio.com. Last week, the former Dallas Cowboys three-time Pro Bowler announced on Twitter he would visit the Browns, an encounter NFL Films would certainly love to capture for HBO's hit documentary series.
The Browns need help at receiver, especially because they're unaware when former All-Pro selection Josh Gordon will return to the team. He remains absent from training camp after announcing July 23 he would focus on his health and treatment plan away from the club.
Quarterback Tyrod Taylor and wide receiver Jarvis Landry have lobbied for the Browns to sign Bryant.
"That would be awesome," Taylor said last week. "We know what type of talent Dez brings to the football field. He's been a very, very good player in his time throughout this league, and he adds talent to the wide receiver room. I hope it can get done, but that's up to management. I definitely think he could help this team."
Landry explained Monday the Browns aren't sure whether Bryant will reciprocate the love.
"We're just trying to figure out if he wants to be here. Then, obviously, we're open arms, and we'd love to have him," Landry said. "He'd be a great addition to our team and our offense for sure. But, right now, all we can focus on is who we have."
On July 25, general manager John Dorsey stated publicly for the first time that the Browns had been discussing the possibility of signing Bryant. And on Thursday, after Dorsey said Bryant wouldn't return his phone calls, the player took to Twitter to notify the world he would visit the Browns.
"For real... I wouldn't mind playing for the browns. I just want to be right first," Bryant tweeted.
Bryant, 29, reportedly rejected a three-year, $21 million from the Baltimore Ravens earlier this offseason. If he's seeking a one-year, prove-it deal, the Browns may be willing to offer it, provided they believe he'll be a good fit. Bryant has a reputation for becoming a distraction if he's not winning or getting the ball on a regular basis, so his mindset must be gauged and considered.
"I don't think you can ever have too many good football players as long as they fit and as long as it is the right fit for the organization, for the locker room and for all involved," coach Hue Jackson said Sunday.
From 2012-14, Bryant had more than 1,200 receiving yards in three consecutive seasons. His best production since then came last season, when he caught 69 passes for 838 yards and six touchdowns. The Cowboys cut him in April.
