Michael Irvin expects Dez Bryant to win MVP in 2013

A wide receiver has never won the NFL MVP award. Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin said Wednesday that current Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant will be the first, and it will happen this season.

During NFL Network's NFL Gameday show, Irvin made that prediction. Warren Sapp, an analyst on the show that was sitting to Irvin's right, reached over and felt Irvin's head like a father checking to see if his son had a fever.

"Watching Dez Bryant now and the way he's understanding the game, that's why I'm expecting to hear these words at the conclusion of the season: MVP 2013 of the league will be Dez Bryant," Irvin said. "Trust me."

Bryant has been nothing but impressive dating back to the middle of last season. And he's carried his breakout year through the off-season and preseason. In 10 series of preseason football this year, Bryant had 13 catches for 183 yards and a touchdown.

But MVP?

If Bryant plays at an MVP level, it's still probably more likely that Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo would win the league's highest individual honor. Over the last 12 seasons, the AP Most Valuable Player award has been given to a quarterback nine times (Ten QBs actually won it, though. Steve McNair and Peyton Manning shared the award in 2003). Running backs received the other three.

"I'm telling you, man you gotta see this dude now, this dude understands football," Irvin added. "I gotta say it, I never thought he had the capability of understanding the game the way he understands the game.

"If he can stay healthy, he'll be off the charts. I'm telling you, man, this dude sees things now."

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