ARLINGTON, Texas –Training camp is almost here, and Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett is excited his All-Pro receiver, Dez Bryant, is back with the team full time with a new five-year, $70 million contract.
Bryant missed virtually the entire offseason program under the franchise tag while the Cowboys and representatives negotiated a new long-term deal.
"I think we all recognized the nature of the NFL and the business of the NFL," Garrett said. "I think it's important to kind of understand that – that's what he was going through. He was getting himself ready in his own way when he was away from us, but to get him signed, ready to go to start training camp is exciting. He's a great football player, but more than that, he's a great teammate."
Garrett echoed Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones' comments last week that the Cowboys will have a plan to work Bryant back into practice without overloading him early.
"Like with anybody, you just want to make sure that they're ready for the work that you're going to ask them to do," Garrett said at the team's annual Coaches Clinic at AT&T Stadium for approximately 500 youth, middle and high school football coaches. "He'll be a guy that we'll monitor. Dez has worked very hard, we know that. He looks great. But at the same time we want to make sure he can get his feet underneath him.
"All these other guys went through an offseason program with their teammates in the weight room, in the running program, on the practice field. We'll catch Dez up."
