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Throughout the offseason, one name has been the focus as far as absences go for the Dallas Cowboys. That name is Dez Bryant. Looking for a long-term deal from the Cowboys, Bryant has skipped just about every OTA session, while making a few appearances for individual workouts. But one name that hasn’t been mentioned by the national media for being a no-show at OTAs is linebacker Rolando McClain.
Unlike Bryant’s situation, McClain isn’t holding out for a new contract. He’s been back home in Alabama rehabbing from knee surgery. On the surface, it would seem as if that’s a better reason to miss OTAs than Bryant’s. Wrong.
Bryant has every right to want a new contract after being franchise tagged, as he’s one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. McClain, on the other hand, could very well be with the team doctors while he recovers from knee surgery. Instead, he’s been away from the team doing his own rehabbing on his own. If I’m the front office and coaching staff in Dallas, that’s extremely worrisome — largely due to McClain’s past with regards to retiring from the game.
By no means am I anywhere close to an NFL player, nor will I ever be, but I would have to imagine players would be excited to join their teams after being away from the game since January. That doesn’t seem to be the case for McClain. Even with mandatory minicamp taking place this week, Jason Garrett is still unsure of whether or not his middle linebacker will be in attendance.
This week will be telling as far as the situation goes. If McClain does show up, it’s a good sign for his mental state and his knee condition. If he’s not at Valley Ranch, everyone in Dallas should be concerned. McClain has retired for a lack of interest before, and I wouldn’t put it past him to do it again. Of course, that’s a worst-case scenario, but it’s also quite realistic. McClain reportedly hasn’t been a favorite of the coaching staff, which makes this situation even more interesting.
Without a fully-invested McClain, it will leave the Cowboys with a hole at middle linebacker next to Sean Lee, which would likely be filled by either Anthony Hitchens or Jasper Brinkley. Neither one can claim to be the player that McClain is, thus making the Dallas defense somewhat weaker. This is a situation to keep a close eye on, as it could go very well or terribly.
