ARLINGTON, Texas – It's still a guess when Dez Bryant will return to the fold completely for the Cowboys' 2015 campaign, but it seems fairly obvious how the club will move forward once he does.
Bryant's contract negotiations with the Cowboys, who used the franchise tag on him this past March, have to be some of the least-contentious in recent memory. The All-Pro wide receiver has yet to sign his franchise tender, and he doesn't have to until July 15 – meaning he could be unavailable for the entirety of the team's Organized Team Activities and minicamp.
Despite that, Bryant has made several trips to the Cowboys' facility this offseason, including last week, and there doesn't seem to be a shred of doubt he'll be available when he needs to be.
"Dez wants to be back. We know that and he knows that, and whenever he comes back, he's back in the family," said Terrance Williams on Tuesday at the team's annual Reliant Home Run Derby Competition.
Williams isn't the first person to say that, but he does offer a unique perspective. As the Cowboys' No. 2 receiver, Williams has been Bryant's understudy and position-mate for two years. In the months since the season ended, he said the two have kept in touch despite Bryant's contract talks.
"I still talk to him once every two days, probably -- I just check up on him and see how he's doing," he said. "The times he did come, he looked like he was ready to go. I guess whenever he decides to come back, we're just going to pick up where we left off at."
It'll be interesting for Williams, entering his third season with the team, if Bryant opts to sit out of OTAs and minicamp. That would leave Williams and Cole Beasley as the Cowboys' top two receivers for the 12 days' worth of practices before training camp.
It might only be for a brief period, but Williams said he's up to the task of carrying that weight while the Cowboys begin their spring preparations.
"That's not something that I'm hoping happens, but if it does happen, then that's why Coach Garrett and my coaches did a great job telling me not to worry about what's going on, but just focusing on ways that I can get better and help my team," he said.
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