Rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant took another step toward returning to the Dallas Cowboys.
Before boarding a team flight to the West Coast, Bryant removed the boot he wore to protect a high ankle sprain that likely will sideline him for another two to four weeks, *The Dallas Morning News* reported Friday. Bryant will start rehabilitation on the ankle when the Cowboys open the second part of their training camp Saturday in Oxnard, Calif.
"He's upbeat," wide receiver Miles Austin told The Morning News. "He's positive. You can tell he's coming along. He's getting it. He's definitely focused on the offense now, picking up the small caveats and different things. ... I think definitely, once he gets back he'll know a lot of the offense."
Bryant, the Cowboys' first-round draft pick in April, injured his ankle during a July 30 training-camp practice in San Antonio. He's expected to be ready for the Sept. 12 regular-season opener at Washington.
