Bryant sits out OTA, rehabs hamstring

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Dallas Cowboys rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant did not participate at all during optional team activities Wednesday because of a sore hamstring, according to multiple sources.

Bryant, who said Tuesday that he expected to return to practice, instead did rehab work on the side as the rest of his teammates practiced. Bryant. who said he'd listen to the team trainers regarding how to participate, sat out team drills Tuesday.

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"I go to Jim and it's his job and he wanted me to sit out today and I was just following orders," Bryant said of head athletic trainer Jim Maurer on Tuesday. "It's real tough for me, because I love competing and love the game of football. I just feel like with moments like this, you just got to follow orders."

Bryant worked on his conditioning with associate athletic trainer Britt Brown.

His status for Thursday's final OTA and this weekend's mandatory minicamp has not been determined.

Bryant, the Cowboys' 2010 first-round draft pick, hasn't played in a game since Sept. 19, when he was suspended by the NCAA for lying to investigators about his relationship with Deion Sanders. His time away from the field raised some questions about his conditioning, and he was so winded in his very first Cowboys practice that he missed a few reps.

He missed his third practice after tweaking his ankle and missed another because of food poisoning. He also has had a sore hip, though it was not considered serious.

"I think it's just part of these types of camps," coach Wade Phillips said of players dealing with minor aches. "We're very cautious with any player, [Keith] Brooking probably could have been back by now and we got a couple of guys working on the side. We just want to be more careful."

Calvin Watkins covers the Cowboys for ESPN Dallas. You can follow him on Twitter or leave a question for his weekly mailbag.

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Calvin Watkins

ESPNDallas.com

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Calvin Watkins joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. He's covered the Cowboys since 2006 and also has covered colleges, boxing and high school sports.