Dunlap: Lack Of Martavis Bryant News Is Curious
PITTSBURGH (93-7 THE FAN) -- About this time every year, you can count on Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert --- a gentleman I genuinely like personally and admire professionally for the job he's done --- saying the same thing on the same subject.
The Steelers will draft "the best player available" is what Colbert will say in some press conference in the run-up to the Draft.
Every year. Count on it. Like clockwork.
As expected, Colbert pretty much did the same on Monday as the organization held a news dissemination event in anticipation of this season's draft, which gets underway on Thursday night.
For me, however, there is a lot of uneasiness as the Steelers get set to pick 30th in the first round and as the draft moves forward have the 62nd overall pick in the second round, the 94th overall pick in the third round and five more before the Mr. Irrelevant is picked and the draft comes to a close.
All the uneasiness and awkwardness centers around Martavis Bryant, who seems to be equal parts incredibly-talented and one of the worst decision makers on Earth.
Has he forced the Steelers into a situation where they cannot take the best available?
Has Bryant, at least to some degree, made the draft one in which wide receiver has become a glaring and obvious position of need?
If something doesn't give in the next few days and a decision isn't rendered at all or in a positive direction for the Steelers, I'm thinking they must draft a receiver --- and one probably relatively high --- to complement Antonio Brown.
We don't have to go over in detail how Bryant was suspended or what for --- you know that by now; you know of his knuckleheaded ways and habitual screw-ups. But the curious portion to all of this is that the league office, even as the draft is less than a week away, hasn't ruled on his future and has yet to reinstate him.
To me, there is no question Martavis Bryant made this mess, but I'd like to know the reason commish Roger Goodell is stringing this whole charade out this long.
"Until he's here, he's not here," Colbert said of Bryant on Monday. "So we just have to prepare as such."
If the Steelers go into the Draft and there isn't any news from Goodell on Bryant, the organization must act. They must draft a receiver in the first couple of rounds --- you can't just take the "best available."
Colin Dunlap is a featured columnist at CBSPittsburgh.com. He can also be heard weekdays from 5:40 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Sports Radio 93-7 "The Fan." You can e-mail him at colin.dunlap@cbsradio.com. Check out his bio here.
