The Cowboys want to see wide receiver Dez Bryant in better shape this season, but they’re not going to see him at all when they return to the field for OTAs next week.
The star wideout is recovering from a second bone graft surgery in January, and apparently isn’t ready to go full speed just yet.
But he has impressed teammates with his eagerness to get back.
“Well, he brings great energy,” tight end Jason Witten said, via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I think it’s great, not only for him, but for all of us to have him there. He loves football. It’s been a good off season for him. You talk about getting motivated and excited. He just leaps out when you see him the way that he approaches every day this off-season. He looks good, and I know he’s very excited to get back at it. . . .
“He’s always running. He’s always talking about routes and what we can do better, things that he wants to focus on. It’s all about getting better and the energy that he brings. Those are good conversations you want to have, especially when he wasn’t around last year He’s off to a really good start and he’s a competitor. He’s working hard to get himself, not only to be back, but to do really good and try to be the best.”
All they’ve done so far are some individual drills, but they’ll ratchet the work up more next week. But they still want to make sure Bryant doesn’t continue to have problems with his foot, after last year’s disaster in which he played just nine games and posted career low numbers.
Assuming he’s well enough to go in training camp, things should be fine. But after missing most of last offseason during a contract negotiation, the sight of Bryant out there at all is at least some degree of a good sign.
