Jerry Jones: Dez Bryant has lost the benefit of the doubt

The best way for Dez Bryant to make people forget about his off-the-field issues would be to put together a tremendous season on the field. The former Oklahoma State wideout is entering his third season with the Cowboys, but it feels like he has been in the NFL for a lot longer given all the drama that has followed him. Most recently, Bryant was arrested on a misdemeanor family violence charge for allegedly assaulting his mother. The eventful offseason has landed him in hot water with Jerry Jones.

“I see much improvement in Dez in every respect,” the Cowboys owner said according to the Dallas Morning News. “But he’s screwed around here and got his benefit of the doubt collateral down to nothing. And he’s also very vulnerable. Now you’ve got to act differently when you’re in those shoes. He’s got to gain a bunch of that back. He can do it, and he can do it right on this football field. And I hope he does.”

Bryant has not spoken with the media since the incident and seems very focused during training camp. Tony Romo has openly come out and supported him, and the Cowboys will need him to have a big year if they want to contend in the NFC East. Jones is hoping Dez can put together the big year the team needs and repair his image in the process.

“That’s why he’s got a real opportunity to get his life together because he can make plays like that and if he can do that, he’s got a way to kind of get people to say, ‘Look, he was a young guy, made some mistakes, but look at him go now,'” Jones said. “That’s my dream for him.”

Between his issues with debt, the trouble he got in for sagging his pants at a mall and the incident with his mother, a breakout season where he stays out of trouble could work wonders for Bryant’s career.