Dez Bryant Injury Has Jerry Jones Irked

The Dallas Cowboys were the first team to open training camp. They were also the first to suffer a potentially significant injury.

Rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant went down with an ankle injury during practice Friday. There are reports Bryant may have a dreaded high ankle sprain, and he could be out up to six weeks, which would put into serious question his availability for the regular season opener.

That injury occurred late in practice, something that has Cowboys owner Jerry Jones singing the blues.

Jones is of the opinion that Bryant shouldn't have been on the field so late in practice.

"It was really disappointing and it really causes you to ... ask what can you do, what can you do in practices that can mitigate some of the exposure to some of these injuries," Jones told ESPN's Chris Mortensen after watching footage of the injury. Jones did not attend Friday's practice.

Jones told Mortensen that Bryant might have been tired after a heavy workload, which included returning kickoffs and punts and running numerous routes with the first and second teams all week.

"The key thing is you ask yourself, 'Are we pushing him too hard; does it happen at the end of practice when the players are tired?' " said Jones, who added, "We all know now when you get a little tired you can get injured."

While Jones is obviously frustrated -- for good reason -- he may also have a point. Bryant is a valuable prospect for the Cowboys, and it isn't uncommon at all for teams to manage the workload for all kinds of players early in training camp.

On the other hand, Bryant is a rookie, and if he is to make significant contributions to the Dallas offense this season, he needs to be on the field during training camp and the preseason games so he can gain experience against NFL-level competition.

What hurts Jones' argument is the nature of the injury.

The injury occurred after cornerback Orlando Scandrick broke up a pass intended for Bryant. Backup quarterback Jon Kitna threw the ball slightly behind Bryant on a crossing route, and Scandrick made a good play on the ball and landed on Bryant's leg.

It sounds like a freak accident that will happen occasionally during drills. Bryant stands just as good a chance of suffering this type of injury on the first play of drills during the week, and the timing seems more of a coincidence than anything else. That won't make Jones feel better, but his comments were an unnecessary jab at his coaching staff, who would have been responsible for the fact Bryant was on the field when he was. It's a staff already under tremendous pressure, and Jones just reminded them he is watching every move they make.