tells it like it is. Last year, when he was benched twice in the same week, he let it be known he didn't feel appreciated, but it didn't affect his play on the field. In fact, it probably inspired him.
So when the Cowboys drafted Dez Bryant, a guy who can not only play receiver but return punts - the same description that always fits Crayton - it's easy to see why there might be some hurt feelings.
Then again, players come up to the weight room to work out just about every day. We're talking about the biggest, strongest, fastest players making sure they get four to five workouts in every week. Now why would that be? If they're already big and strong, why do they need to keep working? Of course, they'll tell you they want to keep improving and keep getting better.
OK, so why can't the Cowboys do the same? They're already strong with a guy like Crayton on the team. But why not get better with a Dez Bryant out there? All the Cowboys were trying to do was get better.
And let's be honest - who knows for sure that Crayton is really the odd man out here?
To me, the Cowboys have question marks up and down the entire receiving corps. In fact, the only guy we really know everything about is Crayton. People say "he is what he is." But is that really a bad thing?
I mean, do we really know what Miles Austin is yet? Probably, but after only year of production, albeit at a Pro Bowl level, there is room for a little doubt. Not saying the jury is still out on Austin, but calling him a franchise receiver may be pushing it right now.
Do we know everything about Roy Williams yet? Cowboys fans surely hope not.
What about Kevin Ogletree? Now there's a guy that still has things to prove. Sure he did well last year with no expectations surrounding him. But let's see how it goes in the second season.
I hate to harp on these older receivers but you just have to. Because there was a time when Jones was really excited about Alexander Wright and Ed Hervey and Corey Fleming and Jeff Ogden and Stepfret Williams and Jason Tucker and Wane McGarity and Chris Brazzell and Damon Hodge and Terrance Copper and Danny Amendola. And we could probably go on.
It's still early on Ogletree and even Austin too, if you think about the expectations we all have for him now. And, of course, it's early on Bryant, whose best NFL catches so far have come without shoulder pads.
The point to all of this is that the Cowboys still have a lot of question marks at receiver. And Patrick Crayton is the one guy you know the most about. So why, in May, would you get rid of him?
And from the sound of things, the Cowboys have no intentions of moving Crayton at this point. To be fair to Crayton, he's missed "voluntary" workouts. Let's see what happens at the Cowboys' mandatory minicamp (June 11-13) when he'll start getting fined for his absences.
Who knows, maybe all of this will get resolved. But as we stand still two months from the start of training camp, holding onto Crayton seems to be the right decision.
