Rolando McClain to Get First Team Reps

McClain led the team with six tackles against the Ravens

Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain drew some high praise for his work against the Ravens last weekend, when he recorded a team-high six tackles, and the team was impressed enough that the former eighth overall pick will get some reps with the first team defense in practice this week.

“At the end of the day, we need to find our three best linebackers and our best combination of those guys to start for us in base, and then there are some roles in nickel as well,” Garrett told the team’s official website this week.

The Cowboys view their acquisition of McClain as a low-risk, high-reward proposition, and the team seems to think it’s beginning to pan out. Of course, he still has work to do, after spending last season retired and out of football.

“I just think as much as anything else, he needs to play in the scheme and needs to play in games, where things are happening fast and conditioning is a factor and going from one play to the next play is a factor and still doing all that [communication],” Garrett said. “He’s a smart football player. He’s done this all throughout his career. I think he’ll get more and more comfortable with that as he goes. It’s a challenge for any inside linebacker making all those calls. He just needs to play in games and hopefully get better at it.”

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