IRVING, Texas – Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones tries to hide it but it's no secret that he's a fan of undrafted free agent offensive guard Ronald Leary.
The 6-3, 315-pounder was one of the 30 prospects the Cowboys visited with before the draft. Offensive line coach Bill Callahan also worked out Leary privately in Memphis.
However, because of a degenerative left knee issue, Leary went undrafted.
But Jones doesn't seem worried about that. During his post draft press conference, Jones eagerly broke off from answering a question to announce that the Cowboys had signed the Memphis alum.
Following the first of two rookie minicamp practices Friday at Valley Ranch, Jones mentioned Leary as one of the standouts.
"I like the way Leary moved out there," Jones said. "He's not my pet cat but it sounds like it. I did like the way he moved."
The Cowboys contemplated drafting Leary in the fifth round. But like every other team, they passed. And Leary has been told that teams backed off because of the knee issue.
"It's a degenerative condition that some call OCD," Leary explained of the disorder called osteochondritis dissecans. "I'm healthy right now. I played the whole season [last year] with it. I did the combine. I'm healthy right now."
Leary said he spoke with his doctor at Memphis before he left for Dallas and received good news.
"He told me that if my knee was going to give out, it would have gave out during the season," he said. "I had no problems during the season, so I'm healthy. I'm ready to go."
Leary participated in all of the drills on Friday and did so without any type of knee brace. If his knee remains healthy, the Cowboys could come away with a major draft week steal, a significant addition considering the interior offensive line is one of the weakest areas on the roster.
Follow Jon Machota on Twitter: @jonmachota
