To say that Cowboys’ receiver Dez Bryant has had an eventful offseason might be an understatement. Bryant ran afoul of an off-duty police officer at Northpark Center Mall--some sagging pants, we think, was the official cause--and had two lawsuits brought against him, claiming he owed two parties around a combined $800,000 for jewelry, loans and tickets to sporting events.
One of the lawsuits has been settled, as has the kerfuffle at Northpark--a spokesman from the mall went as far as to issue an open invitation for Bryant to return, effectively quashing whispers that he had been banned.
Head coach Jason Garrett had a chance to speak to Bryant over the phone on draft weekend last month, and said that the young, and astonishingly talented receiver is doing well.
"We did get a chance to see a number of players and visit with a number of them who were out of town, just over the phone so he was in that mix," Garrett said Monday on Pro Football Talk Live, via ESPN Dallas. "And he seems like he’s doing better."
According to Garrett, one of the potentially harmful effects of the lockout is stripping young players like Bryant of the structure of a typical offseason. The semi-voluntary offseason workout program, OTAs and rookie minicamps, for example, are all on hold as the two sides await a ruling on the owners’ request for a stay. But as of now, Bryant is in Dallas, working out with the team at player-organized workouts.
"For a lot of young guys transitioning into the league, it's important to them to have structure," Garrett said. "And we feel like for Dez and for other guys on our team, and really throughout the NFL, the importance of having an offseason program and OTAs and all those things really helps them and helps them get acclimated to this game and this level and this lifestyle and that’s been an unfortunate byproduct of this lockout. But [Bryant] seems to be getting himself back in line and we can't wait to get him and the rest of the group back to work."
Stay on top of the latest Dallas Cowboys news with NBCDFW.com. Follow NBC DFW Sports on Facebook or have breaking Cowboys news sent directly to your phone with Blue Star SMS alerts. Text "bluestar" to 622339 (NBCDFW) to subscribe to this free service. Read more about it here.
