A quiet offseason is a good offseason for Dez Bryant. The 24-year-old Dallas Cowboys wide receiver hasn't been in the news for any negative reasons and has been a regular around the Valley Ranch practice facility, according to a recent story by The Dallas Morning News.
"He's just a really, really good young man," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett recently told The Morning News' David Moore. "He's made great strides over the last three years. We feel good about the progress he's made not only as a player but as a person.
"We all know the background from where he came. He's really grown a lot. I think the consistency that he's shown in his personal life spills over (onto the field). I feel great about his progress."
Bryant was arrested in July and charged with misdemeanor family violence for allegedly hitting his mother. Throughout his three seasons with the Cowboys, Bryant has faced multiple lawsuits stemming from unpaid debts, he was briefly banned from a Dallas mall and he was involved in an altercation outside a Miami nightclub that led to him being detained by police.
But since Bryant addressed those situations in November, he has stayed out of trouble and excelled on the field.
"I know what I want in my life," Bryant said in November. "I feel like I deserve to be here playing football, doing what I love. Everything that I've been through and experienced is all behind me. I could care less about it. I love football. That's my main goal."
The former first-round pick turned in his best professional season in 2012, finishing with 92 catches, 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Follow Jon Machota on Twitter: @jonmachota
