Dez Bryant played 113 games with the Dallas Cowboys in his eight season stint with the team. He produced over 531 receptions for over 7,450 yards, with a franchise record of 73 touchdown receptions. He was a three time Pro Bowl Wide Receiver and one time All-Pro.

This is the player Dallas traded-up in front of the Baltimore Ravens to select in the 2009 NFL Draft. This is the legendary wide receiver the Dallas Cowboys released.

Last Friday, the Dallas Cowboys released their veteran wide receiver, Dez Bryant, after a short meeting with team owner Jerry Jones, where the two discussed Bryant’s future with the team.

Jones informed Bryant that he would be released from the team and did not offer Bryant a pay cut, supposedly due to salary cap relief and declining production.

Sources say that as Bryant was leaving the facility, he warned that he would see Dallas twice this upcoming season. It’s clear Dez Bryant would like to join NFC East rival, the New York Giants, where he could possibly play alongside wide receiver and friend, Odell Beckham Jr.

It was also clear that months prior to Bryant’s release that Dallas was looking to part ways. Dallas had left breadcrumbs of clues leading up to this exact moment with four examples: targeting WR Sammy Watkins, targeting WR Allen Robinson, signing WR Allen Hurns, visiting and working out many wide receivers during the pre-draft process.

Evidently, Dallas will target a WR to potentially take Bryant’s place in the early rounds of the NFL Draft. Fan favorites include Maryland WR DJ Moore, Alabama WR Calvin Ridley, SMU WR Courtland Sutton.

Releasing Dez Bryant was the right thing to do, even as a fan of the team and of Bryant. It’s hard to see him go. It’s hard to even imagine him in another team uniform.

However, it was not the right time to release Bryant. If your plan was to cut Bryant all along, the right thing to do was to cut him at the start of the free agency. Out of all the free agent wide receivers signed, Bryant is not only the better WR, but he is better statistically.

Bryant could’ve been signed to a team in less than three days if released at the start of free agency, but Dallas preferred to cover themselves first. By the time they kicked Bryant to the curb, most the top free agent WR’s were already signed.

Fans always crucify players when they don’t show any loyalty to their respective teams, but in reality, the teams are the ones who are not truly loyal to their players.

No one represented the star like Bryant. No one showed courage in their team like Bryant. No one was more passionate about the game than Bryant. There was no one that Dallas fans loved more than Bryant.

It’s safe to say that majority of Dallas’ personnel and front office love Bryant, just like he loves them. But then again, in the National Football League, business more than likely always comes before feelings.