What is Dez Bryant thinking?

Dez Bryant said on Twitter he hopes to play later this year, but he might be running out of time if he hopes to find a team.

Dez Bryant has become the NFL’s most polarizing free agent. Released from the Dallas Cowboys this past March, Bryant has been a topic discussed at length by fans and the media alike, generally because teams have shown little interest in signing him. Per Pro Football Talk, the Cleveland Browns discussed signing him to a base salary below $5 million, but Bryant declined.

"Bryant is believed by some to be waiting for a better team. He also could be waiting for a better offer from the Browns. Per a league source, the Browns offered Bryant a deal with a base value of less than $5 million."

Perhaps to explain his rationale behind not taking the Browns offer, Bryant tweeted this:

The beauty of social media is you can take subtle, vague comments and attempt to decipher what is being said. Here, Bryant perhaps is stating he’s waiting on a bigger deal to come his way. But August is coming to a close, and rosters will be finalized soon for the upcoming NFL season. With the amount of time passing, the tweet could imply, too, that Bryant knows that his window of opportunity is closing and he needs time to reflect. Bryant is too talented a receiver to not be on an NFL roster, without question. But maybe Bryant also knows his baggage is something most teams don’t want to carry.

Perhaps, the New England Patriots could take a look at signing Bryant. The Patriots are thin at receiving talent — even thinner for the first four weeks due to Julian Edelman being suspended. With the release of Jordan Matthews and Kenny Britt and the retirement of Eric Decker, Bryant may be a viable option for the Patriots to consider. But it all boils down to what Bryant wants to do. Time is running out, and pride must take a back seat if he wants to continue his career.