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ALAMEDA – Martavis Bryant is officially back. The Raiders announced his re-signing only 11 days after cutting it, and dream once again of what the receiver's unique talents can bring to the passing game.
We were already on this road in April, after the Raiders sent Pittsburgh a third-round pick to acquire Bryant in the first place.
Then, there was a strange pre-season where he was nicknamed "the white tiger" after missing several practices with migraines and criticized for his difficulties in learning several catcher positions in Jon Gruden's program.
All of this happened while his position in the league was questioned as a counter-attacker of the NFL's drug policy. Then he was cut for supposedly losing a position battle with Keon Hatcher.
Then, on Tuesday, Bryant joined the Raiders. And Hatcher was cut.
Wrap your head around it?
Bryant's league problems remain unresolved, but for now, he is eligible to play Sunday against Denver and in the future, unless the NFL says otherwise.
Head coach Jon Gruden explained why he wanted Bryant back at a press conference on Wednesday.
"He's in a good position right now," said Gruden. "I think he's in good health. I think he's ready to leave. We are sold on it. We have been in contact with him since his departure. I've said it before: when he's right, he can make a difference and we hope it can be done sooner than expected. "
It was clear in the 33-13 loss to the LA Rams that the Raiders needed a deep threat. Bryant ranks among the best in the league. He has an ideal size and a blazing speed, which allows him to make games that the opponents must respect.
"He's a guy who has proven that he can ride and get the ball deep in contested situations," Gruden said. "He can run away. It can make you miss. He can make great games on the field. We hope we can bottle up where he is now. It is in a great place. He has a good state of mind. We'll see what happens."
Quarterback Derek Carr is excited about Bryant's return, although there is chemistry and time to train between the two. Bryant missed several tries and played mainly with the second unit in good health, so Carr did not throw much. The pair plans to do extra work this week to find a rhythm in anticipation of his move to the Broncos.
His raw talent can be easily exploited, even against a formidable secondary Broncos.
"He can split double teams," said Carr. "Teams can try playing some blankets with him, but he's so fast that it does not matter. You make a mistake, he left like that. It can be run by guys out of coverage. He can do other things that most people can not do.
Carr also said that Bryant is happy to be back in Alameda even after being surprised in less than two weeks.
"After all he's been through, he's just grateful to be back in the locker room and play football," Carr said. "… We can be there for him with everything he needs, and he can help us win football games. We know what kind of talent it is, and we are very happy to have this threat, this speed. "
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