Dez Bryant has been something of a tease over his first two NFL seasons, but the Dallas Cowboys wide receiver believes a new workout regiment will make a difference.
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"It affected me big time," Bryant said, via ESPNDallas.com. "I feel much quicker. I'm coming out of my breaks faster. I got in shape real quick. I know all the other guys have been going through the same workouts, so I'm pretty sure they feel the same exact way. I feel like the team is just really ready to go. I'm not going to predict anything, but I know for a fact that we're ready to go."
Bryant finished last season with 63 receptions for 928 yards with nine touchdowns, but he had a propensity to disappear in the second half of games. For the season, Bryant had 37 receptions for 558 yards and seven touchdowns during the first two quarters. After halftime, Bryant caught 26 passes for 370 yards and two touchdowns.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in June he believed conditioning -- and not a nagging thigh injury -- played a role in the second-half struggles. We don't know if Jones' criticism motivated Bryant, but it appears the Cowboys will get a more physically prepared player in 2012.