Dez Bryant calls out Dallas Cowboys offense, says perks of team make some players soft

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Former Dallas Cowboys star Dez Bryant lashed out at some current players in a series of social media posts in the wake of the team’s playoff loss.

Bryant responded to a post by ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith regarding the Cowboys’ 23-17 NFC wild card loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at AT&T Stadium.

“One of my biggest problems I had playing with Dallas [is] we didn’t understand we wasn’t [Troy] Aikman, [Michael] Irvin, [and Emmitt] Smith,” Bryant posted on Twitter. “No disrespect to those guys but they was my motivation to at least get 1 [Super Bowl].”

Bryant intimated that some Cowboys players become soft, or perhaps less dedicated to winning, by all of the ancillary benefits of playing for the organization.

“The perks of being a Cowboy ruin some players and it’s clear,” Bryant said. “I talked a lot of [trash] because in the off-season I put in maximum work. I didn’t travel all over the place reaping the perks of being a cowboy. I found some grass and grind like a mad man. I hit your local gyms around DFW. It was my routine every year. I appreciated the opportunity and took advantage of it. You was going to love or hate playing with me because I was extreme about what I love.”

After some fans responded to Bryant’s comments, he defended his stance, and denied that he was pointing a finger at any particular current players, including Dak Prescott.

“I played for the Cowboys and the last thing I’m going to do is give a false observation on what I see,” he said. “Who made this just about Dak? I’m not bashing, I’m speaking truth.”

Bryant added that he felt bad for the Cowboys’ defense because they gave the team a chance to win. The offense, however, didn’t hold up its end of the bargain, Bryant said.

“I knew if Dallas offense didn’t come ready to play we was going to be in trouble,” he said. “I feel sorry for Dallas defense because they gave the Offense multiple chances to win the game. I don’t know how you don’t perform with all the talent on offense.”