Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant, who had a breakout season is 2012, said he expects to become the NFL’s first 2,000-yard receiver.
“I feel like it can be a lot more than that,” Bryant said in a telephone interview with ESPNDallas.com. “I honestly feel like [2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns] can potentially happen.”
The 24-year-old Bryant caught 92 passes for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. His projection will be considered far-fetched until accomplished. Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice maxed out at 1,848 for the San Francisco 49ers in 1995. That mark was broken last season by the Detroit Lions’ receiver Calvin Johnson, who almost achieved it with 1,964 yards–just 36 yards short.
Bryant did show remarkable toughness and talent last season, especially in the last eight games, when he became Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo’s favorite target with 50 catches for 879 yards and 10 touchdowns.
“That’s still scratching the surface,” Bryant said. “It’s only going to get better, to be honest. I still have a lot to give. I feel like nobody’s seen anything. Nothing.”
Bryant played the final three games of the season with a broken index finger, which required offseason surgery.
After losing to the Washington Redskins, Bryant said it took him a week to get over the disappointment. But not making the playoffs has made him more determined, he said. But staying healthy has to be a priority for Bryant.
He has yet to participate in offseason drills due to a lower-back injury he suffered in December to Washington. He left FedEx Field that night in a wheelchair.
“It just makes you want it even more,” Bryant said. “I’m so confident. I view myself as an up-and-coming leader. That’s how I view myself. With that attitude, you have to feel like anything’s possible. That’s how I feel.”
