Dez vs. LeBron in the NFL?

It doesn't take the sharp eye of an NFL scout to know that LeBron James would make an outstanding football player. But when Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant says it, and the reporters covering training camp have run out of ideas, it becomes news.

"That dude is just that talented," Bryant told ESPNDallas.com when asked whether James could make it as an NFL tight end or receiver. "I think it would take him probably about a good two weeks to get very acquainted with football, knowing what he's supposed to do. I think that's all he'd need with his physical ability."

Stop the presses.

James is the top player in the NBA and perhaps of his generation. At 6-8 and 250 pounds, he's already built like a defensive end. Yeah, I guess the guy could probably play a little football.

But wait: James has already played football. He was a standout receiver in high school until he gave up the sport before his senior year.

"I've seen a little bit of his highlights from high school," Bryant said. "He's got the hands, he can run the routes, he's fast enough. He could play in this league if he put it all together."

Anyone who has seen James run the floor and attack the basket could surmise that. There have been plenty of basketball players with football backgrounds and vice-versa, so it's not as far-fetched as saying a golfer could make it as a linebacker.

It's well-known that James is a die-hard Cowboys fans, but don't expect him to give up his hoops career to get beaten up on a football field.

But when Bryant uses the term "beast" to describe what King James would look like in a helmet and pads, it makes headlines during the doldrums of NFL training camp.

"All he'd need to do is probably work on a little technique," Bryant said. "It's not like he's never played football before. He has played football. I think he'd be a beast in the red zone. I think he could do it. I think he could do it, seriously."

You and everyone else, Dez.


Follow Keith Whitmire on Twitter: @Keith_Whitmire