Defensive end Henry Melton, the Dallas Cowboys’ prized free agent signing of the offseason, was limited to 25 snaps in the regular season opener against the 49ers after missing all of the preseason with knee and groin issues. He didn’t record a tackle, but head coach Jason Garrett liked what he saw out of the 2012 Pro Bowler, and expects his production to jump when he gets more game action under his belt.
“He just needed to play more,” Garrett said, per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “He didn’t play in the preseason, as we’ve talked about a number of times. So you have to be mindful of that when you’re deciding how much he plays in the opening game. We have a good rotation up there. Some of the younger guys took some of those snaps.
“But I thought he responded well. His conditioning has to get much better. Maybe as much as anything else, it’s just playing and making sure that leg is underneath him and he’s just playing instinctively and naturally and I think we saw some of that during the game.”
Melton played in just three games in 2013 as a member of the Chicago Bears before suffering a torn ACL.
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