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ALAMEDA, Calif. – Yes, Martavis Bryant heard the compliment from Jon Gruden, the Oakland Raiders coach called the receiver a "white tiger" during training camp. No, Bryant did not mind the nickname.
"I feel that it is challenging me to become the best person possible," said Bryant on Thursday, "I do not take negative comments, I consider it a motivator." He just wants me to be the best player and I thank him for that.You need a hard love to be the best.I have a lot of work to do and he will keep pushing me.
That's why the Raiders, who initially acquired it for a third-round pick in a game of the day, once again signed Bryant Wednesday – 11 days after cutting him at the top of the initial roster of 53 players.
Indeed, the Raiders separated from Bryant on the day of the break, in part because they feared a mandatory suspension for him. Adam Schefter, an ESPN NFL insider, reported on Saturday that Bryant was facing a "one-year suspension for his latest NFL policy violation" and that it would be his third suspension in four years . Earlier this month, ESPN reported that Bryant had violated the league's drug policy at some point during the off season.
Bryant, who was suspended for the 2016 season, said the rumors and reports did not bother me, but I have no control over that and I do not really want to discuss it for the moment. I went through my career, I've been in the league for five years and I did not have a well-established career, I made mistakes at a younger age and learned from them. I did not let myself down too much, because I fought the first time I was suspended, so I went through there, so I know how to stay focused. "
When asked who was with him during the drama, Bryant mentioned his grandmother, his godmother, his mother and his girlfriend.
"I support the whole woman around me," he says with a smile.
Gruden, however, was infuriated by Bryant's gifts on the field, but his absence from the training camp due to headaches. Hence his coronation of the "white tiger".
"We call Martavis the white tiger," Gruden said on Aug. 15. "I used to go to Busch Gardens in Tampa … and they have a white tiger.You go 12 times or 13 times, the white The tiger was still in its cage, but the white tiger is out today.
"I do not know if you have this analogy, but sometimes he goes out to play and sometimes he does not, it's good to see him because he's really special, like the white tiger."
When Bryant was cut, Gruden said Keon Hatcher had just passed him in the pre-season. Hatcher was cut to make way for Bryant this week.
"It's a proven guy," Gruden said about Bryant on Wednesday. "He can go up and get the ball deep in contested situations, he can run away from you, he can make you miss, he can make great games in the field, obviously." We hope we can bottle there. where he is now – he is in a good place, he is in good health, he is ready to leave, he has a very good state of mind, we will see what happens.
Bryant said he had stayed in the Bay Area after being cut and that he had not witnessed the defeat of the Raiders' 33-13 season against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday. .
He took an out-of-the-mind approach, as he did in 2016.
"So I'm not distracted or too frustrated with myself and end up doing something stupid," he said.
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said Bryant would add to the game of vertical passes.
"He can split the doubles teams," said Carr. "The teams can try playing some blankets with him, but he's so fast that it does not matter.You make a misstep, if I hit that defender and he's a misstep he can leave like that, who are out of the cover, he can do things that others simply do not do.
"It's not a hit on them, it's exactly what God has given him, a speed of 4.2 with that kind of length, the ball jump thing and some of the aggressive stuff I sometimes like. sometimes with him, I mean it just adds a dynamic that a coordinator needs to think about. "
Yet one of Gruden's criticisms of Bryant was that he was not versatile enough in the attack during the camp. Bryant insists that this has changed and he plans to contribute Sunday to the Broncos of Denver.
"I'm comfortable now, but at the same time, with Gruden's coaching attack, you have to keep studying every day and continue studying the book," said Bryant. "I'm much more advanced than when I first came here, I'm just going to keep getting better."
And what about a potential suspension? The Raiders seem to be cautious in the wind by bringing it back.
"I do not know anything about that," said Bryant.
"All I'm doing here is playing football.As for this stuff, let this process take care of this thing."
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