Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant close to full return

[Midswat]

Dez Bryant was in the locker room Saturday to meet the rookies.

He even played catch on the side during their minicamp.

Though he hasn’t been cleared for the Dallas Cowboys’ off-season program, Bryant is looking more and more like the Dez of old, Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

“He’s done a really good job with his rehab, and he’s made progress,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said.

“Like with all those guys, it’s a day-by-day, week-by-week thing. But he’s had no setbacks, and he really continues to get better and better.”

Cowboys receivers coach Derek Dooley anticipates Bryant being a full participant by June 1. The team’s minicamp is June 16-18.

Bryant played only nine games last season, none completely healthy. He ended the season on injured reserve and required more foot and ankle surgery in the off-season.

“The biggest thing with him is conditioning,” Dooley said. “It doesn’t matter how good you might be, if you’re not in physical condition to run routes and to get people off you, it’s going to be hard. So we almost, with Dez, have got to go back to square one, go back to the fundamentals.

“It’s almost as if he’s had a year off. Develop our skill sets as a wideout, but at the same time, get back into a level of conditioning to allow yourself to apply those skills 65, 70 snaps in a game.

“That’s not going to happen in nine OTAs. It’s going to be him really pushing himself this summer without us around and then having a great training camp.

“I feel like if we can get through those three phases, he’ll be ready to go.”

 

[Scot]

He's going to come back out of shape again. And just like last year he will injure himself. Last preseason it was a hammy. Who knows what it will be this year.

He won't be back to "normal" or back to his regular form until the end of the season

He basically missed all last season so he's starting from scratch

I'm not expecting much from him till the later part of the season

I hope we can get Brice Butler some more action. If we are lucky he can take mr useless' place and allow us to keep T Willy on the bench!

He had his chance to step up last year and prove he can play at the next level. He didn't step up and he actually showed us that he's a weakness and not a strength

 

[Midswat]

Yeah we should cut this guy because overreaction is fun!!!

Dez sucks y'all

 

[Scot]

Who's overreacting? Dez was out of shape and got injured last preseason. It's looking like he may miss part of the overall preseason program again this season. Therefore it's a fair possibility that he may injure himself again like he did last season with the hammy.

No overreaction
Just reality

 

[Doomsday]

Yeah, nobody's talking about cutting him. Some simply don't trust him as far as we can throw him. I see him doing like Owens did, purposely dropping balls (Owens led the league in dropped passes), coming up with all kinds of little nagging injuries, and so on. He got his big money, but it's yet to be seen how he responds since last year is a mulligan due to the broken foot.

 

[Scot]

I'm not on the same line of thinking as Dooms

I just don't think he will be in "football shape" as Carrot top likes to say

Meaning he won't be in shape physically and he won't have his timing down with Romo because of the lack of training time together.

That's why I said I don't see him getting back to normal until late this season

He hasn't been on the same page as Romo since 2014

It's going to take him sometime to get there. I do however think he will get there eventually. Just not sure when that will be

 

[Doomsday]

I just don't think he will be in "football shape" as Carrot top likes to say

Meaning he won't be in shape physically and he won't have his timing down with Romo because of the lack of training time together.

And you believe the reason for this is?

He's responsible for getting in shape pretty much on his own, according to the article. If he doesn't, that plays into exactly what I am saying does it not?

From the article: "It’s going to be him really pushing himself this summer without us around and then having a great training camp."

 

[Scot]

When I said I didn't agree with you I meant the part about him dropping balls and being like TO

the rest I do agree with you on

I don't see him coming in to camp in shape

He was supposed to do that last season while the contract bullshit was going on

He didn't and we saw the result. A pulled hammy that kept him out of the rest of pre season

What leads anyone to believe that he will (on his own) come in to camp ready to go this time around?

If big money wasn't motivation enough then what is to this guy?

 

[TheZoneSucks]

Dez has needed a "fucking idiot prevention" task force to babysit him thus far in his career. To expect him to be responsible enough to get in football shape on his own requires a leap of faith. Now that he got paid I don't think he is hungry anymore. I hope he proves me wrong on that, but we are talking about the Millinneal Generation of athletes and they don't have a very good track record of "give a shit" once they get paid.

 

[Scot]

I don't think it has to do with him getting paid so much as it has to do with him still being young, immature and just plain stupid still

If it wasn't for his passion for the game and strong desire to win I believe he would be a total lost cause and would have already flamed out in grand Ryan Leaf fashion

 

[dbair1967]

He hasn't been on the same page as Romo since 2014

What'd they play, 2 games total together last yr?

 

[Midswat]

Dez is one of maybe 5 cowboys players I even like anymore so all you guys talking shit about him are on my shit list.

 

[cmd34]

Yeah, I'm pretty much Zone'ish when it comes to Romo, Dez, Witten, the O Line, Sean Lee, and Byron Jones.
Elliott as well, although I still think we drafted him too high.

People outside of message boards think I'm a Cowboys homer, although most know I hate Jerry and Jason.

 

[dbair1967]

People outside of message boards think I'm a Cowboys homer,.

What people?

 

[Doomsday]

Dez is one of maybe 5 cowboys players I even like anymore so all you guys talking shit about him are on my shit list.

That just scares the living shit out of me, the thought that I might be on any list of yours.

 

[Rynie]

I have this feeling Dez is going to be a guy that gets paid and quits giving a shit. He didn't try at all last season.

Also, he's pretty overrated, and always has been.

 

[Doomsday]

Also, he's pretty overrated, and always has been.

He does come with a certain degree of hype, but not alot of it unearned. He's as legit of a wideout as there is in this league. That's not been my concern with him.

 

[bbgun]

if he runs into the locker room one more time due to dehydration, something no other player seems to have trouble with, I'm going to lose it. there's plenty of water and Gatorade on the sideline. use it you stupid fuck.

 

[Rynie]

if he runs into the locker room one more time due to dehydration, something no other player seems to have trouble with, I'm going to lose it. there's plenty of water and Gatorade on the sideline. use it you stupid fuck.

No shit. Maybe if he would quit using so much energy talking shit in the game, or throwing temper tantrums at Valley Ranch all week (buddy at VR says Dez is the biggest crybaby in the world), he wouldn't be winded.

 

[dbair1967]

I have this feeling Dez is going to be a guy that gets paid and quits giving a shit. He didn't try at all last season.

Also, he's pretty overrated, and always has been.

Eh.