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Bye-bye Bryant?

Raiders fear suspension for Martavis Bryant

The Raiders might have made the first colossal blunder of the offseason. A Las Vegas newspaper is reporting the team fears a suspension could be coming for wide receiver Martavis Bryant.

Bryant, recall, has run afoul of the league’s substance abuse policy in the past. He was suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season, and he was sidelined for all of 2016 after an additional failed test. Bryant is large (6-4, 211) and fast, but he lasted until the fourth round back in 2014 (probably because teams were aware of risks when he was coming out of Clemson).

Now Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports the Raiders fear Bryant could be facing another suspension. Given Bryant’s past, it likely would be a suspension of the year-long variety.

The Raiders gave up a third-round pick to obtain Bryant back in April, so the suspension would be a real gut punch. The Steelers, meanwhile, could look like geniuses for unloading Bryant while he still had some value. They instead replaced him by selecting James Washington late in the second round.

Like another talented-but-troubled receiver, Josh Gordon, Bryant is in a contract year. You would logically figure that those guys would be extra motivated to stay clean, put up good numbers and then cash in next spring. But it won’t necessarily work out that way.

If the league suspends Bryant, he won't be a free agent next spring. If and when he were reinstated, the Raiders would still have him under contract for a year (when a player is suspended, his contract freezes).

If a suspension occurs for Bryant, it will make Jordy Nelson look more palatable as a later-round choice. Yesterday I was figuring Nelson was Oakland’s 3rd-best wide receiver (Amari Cooper will be their No. 1). Now it’s looking more likely Nelson will be the No. 2 in that offense.

When Bryant is healthy and on his game, he’s capable of being a difference-making receiver. That’s why the Raiders traded the third-rounder for him. In the last four years, only 56 wide receivers have averaged at least 10 fantasy points per game (standard scoring). Bryant has done it twice (though he sat out in 2016 and was lightly used last year).

BEST PER-GAME SEASONS (last 4 years)
YearPlayerStNoRecRunTDFPG
2014Odell Beckham Jr., NYG117.9114.63.21.0017.8
2014Antonio Brown, Pitt.168.1106.1.8.9416.3
2015Antonio Brown, Pitt.168.5114.61.8.7316.0
2015Julio Jones, Atl.168.5116.9.0.5615.1
2017Antonio Brown, Pitt.147.2109.5.0.6714.9
2015Odell Beckham Jr., NYG156.496.7.2.8714.9
2015Brandon Marshall, NYJ166.893.9.0.8814.6
2017DeAndre Hopkins, Hou.156.491.9.0.8714.4
2014Jordy Nelson, G.B.166.194.9.0.8114.4
2014Demaryius Thomas, Den.166.9101.2.0.7114.4
2014Dez Bryant, Dall.165.582.5.01.0014.3
2015Allen Robinson, Jac.165.087.5.0.8814.0
2015DeAndre Hopkins, Hou.166.995.1.0.7113.7
2016Antonio Brown, Pitt.157.185.6.6.8013.4
2016Jordy Nelson, G.B.166.178.6.0.8813.1
2014Julio Jones, Atl.156.9106.2.1.4013.0
2016Mike Evans, T.B.166.082.6.0.7913.0
2014Randall Cobb, G.B.165.780.42.3.7712.9
2016Julio Jones, Atl.145.9100.6.0.4312.6
2014Emmanuel Sanders, Den.166.387.82.8.5812.5
2016Odell Beckham, NYG166.385.4.6.6312.4
2015Martavis Bryant, Pitt.105.076.53.7.7012.2
2015Sammy Watkins, Buff.134.680.5.1.6912.2
2016A.J. Green, Cin.106.696.4.0.4012.0
2014Jeremy Maclin, Phil.165.382.4.0.6312.0
2014Calvin Johnson, Det.135.582.8.0.6212.0
2015Doug Baldwin, Sea.164.966.8.0.8811.9
2014T.Y. Hilton, Ind.155.589.71.3.4711.9
2015A.J. Green, Cin.165.481.1.0.6311.9
2014Mike Evans, T.B.154.570.1.0.8011.8
2015Eric Decker, NYJ155.368.5.0.8011.6
2017Tyreek Hill, K.C.155.078.93.9.5311.5
2016T.Y. Hilton, Ind.165.790.5.0.4011.4
2017Keenan Allen, LAC166.487.1.6.4411.4
2016Michael Thomas, N.O.156.175.8.0.6011.2
2014Alshon Jeffery, Chi.165.370.82.1.6311.0
2015Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz.166.875.9.0.5611.0
2015Calvin Johnson, Det.165.575.9.0.5611.0
2015Allen Hurns, Jac.154.368.7.0.6710.9
2016Davante Adams, G.B.164.762.3.0.7710.9
2014A.J. Green, Cin.135.380.1.2.4610.8
2017Davante Adams, G.B.145.363.2.0.7110.6
2015Brandin Cooks, N.O.165.371.11.1.5610.6
2015Jeremy Maclin, K.C.155.872.5.9.5310.5
2016Brandin Cooks, N.O.164.973.31.9.5010.5
2014Martavis Bryant, Pitt.102.654.91.2.8010.4
2015Demaryius Thomas, Den.166.681.5.0.3810.4
2015Jarvis Landry, Mia.166.972.37.1.3910.3
2017Marvin Jones, Det.163.868.8.0.5610.3
2017Julio Jones, Atl.165.590.3.9.1910.2
2014DeSean Jackson, Wash.153.777.9.5.4010.2
2015Emmanuel Sanders, Den.155.175.71.9.4010.2
2016Dez Bryant, Dall.133.861.2.0.6710.1
2014Golden Tate, Det.166.283.21.9.2510.0
2017JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt.144.165.5.0.5710.0
2016J.J. Nelson, Ariz.103.051.76.0.7010.0

In the chart above, for each player you’re seeing starts, and average catches, yards and touchdowns in those starts. Rushing yards and 2-point conversions are also included, but I’m not listing them. Fantasy points = 6 for TDs and 1 for every 10 yards.

—Ian Allan

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