Jerry Jones: No Hurry on Dez Return
By Mike Fisher | @fishsports
OXNARD, Calif. (105.3 The Fan) - The Cowboys, and Dez Bryant himself, continue to insist that he's been sidelined since Aug. 6 with what is truly just a minor hamstring strain. And owner Jerry Jones now says there is such a lack of anxiety that "Dez's preparation (is) all the way up until we play the Giants" in Week 1 of the regular season.
"There's a lot of me that likes Dez, seriously, right where he is right now," Jones said after a Saturday workout during which the All-Pro receiver was limited to sideline rehab. "He's really working on his conditioning. I noticed how hard they had him out here working before the practice. I like that. I don't think we're missing anything. Dez wants to be out here, and it's probably killing him not to be making plays. I know it is. But for our perspective, that's working about where we want it to be.''
Even when the hyperactive Bryant is doing nothing, though, he's doing plenty. His casual pregame toss-and-catch at San Diego on Thursday was actually a fairly rigorous workout. Same with his resistance training while wearing a helmet on Saturday.
Could he work today? Conceivably. Could he participate in this week's combined practiced with the visiting St. Louis Rams? Probably. Could he play in their next preseason game Aug. 23 at the San Francisco 49ers.
Sure. But ...
"I don't think in any way we're going to be behind or limited as to Dez's preparation the way it's working right now,'' Jones said, eyeballing the evening of Sunday, Sept. 13 at AT&T Stadium, "all the way up until we play the Giants."
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