Cowboys taking shots at Dez Bryant is a bad look

The Dallas Cowboys’ decision to cut Dez Bryant is completely acceptable. Team officials talking trash about Bryant after the fact is not.

The Dallas Cowboys’ decision to cut Dez Bryant based on his lack of on-field production was totally acceptable. The decision of team official Will McClay to talk negatively about Bryant as he tries to catch on with another team is a completely different manner.

The Cowboys’ vice president of player personnel didn’t hold back when he was asked about why the team elected to cut ties with Bryant. He cited the wide receiver’s “inability to win one-on-one, to win downfield” as the rationale for the team’s decision. McClay isn’t wrong in his assessment of Bryant’s current abilities, but he is wrong to speak about a player that’s no longer on his roster.

Bryant is out on the free agent market trying to secure a new contract. The Cowboys should not be doing anything to make that more difficult for him. No one has questioned the effort he gave Dallas during his time there. Disparaging a player after cutting him is just a bad look for the Cowboys in general.

It’s also a really strange decision from McClay. Other players in the Cowboys’ locker room will certainly take notice of how the team is treating Bryant after his release. The wide receiver may not have been wildly popular in the front office, but he did have the support of his teammates. Publicly criticizing him at this point of the offseason may cause several current players to rethink their own relationship with the team’s front office.

Ultimately, all of the noise should die down when Bryant is able to find a new home. While he isn’t the Pro Bowl receiver that he was back in his younger days, he can still help the right team. Specifically, Bryant should be looking for a team that needs a big, physical slot receiver who can provide their quarterback with a large target down the seam.

Next: Dez Bryant is a perfect fit for the Bengals

Until that happens, all of the Cowboys front office staff needs to keep Bryant’s name out of their mouths. Kicking a former player while he’s down isn’t a good look for anyone involved.