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Cowboys defend their approach to acquiring high-risk players
- Updated: July 30, 2016
11:36 AM ET
OXNARD, Calif. — As they take the field for their first training camp practice Saturday, the Dallas Cowboys have a league-high three players who will serve suspensions this season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
And the team remains adamant about keeping its approach to acquiring high-risk players.
Linebacker Rolando McClain will serve a 10-game suspension, and defensive end Randy Gregory is facing a four-game ban, which could be extended to 10 games because of additional failed tests. Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence will serve a four-game suspension.
The Cowboys’ tolerance for players such as Gregory and McClain has not waned, even though this marks the third consecutive season the Cowboys will start the season with a player serving a suspension.
Gregory is at a drug rehab center, and McClain did not report to training camp. Both have been placed on the reserve/did not report list, creating two roster spots on the 90-man roster.
The Cowboys believe such suspensions are no different than injuries: They affect every NFL club.
“Some of the suspensions we’re dealing with are sicknesses, and they’re truly sensitive situations,” Cowboys executive Stephen Jones said. “As we all know, it’s a journey when you have those type of issues.
“I don’t think you can take one wide swipe and say this is how we’re going to do things. We’ll continue to look at each individual [case] on its own merit. We won’t have one particular policy. I do think these things come and go. Teams around the league are dealing with suspensions with major football players. That’s part of our league. That’s the business we’re in. There’s no exact science when you’re dealing with human beings.”
Perhaps not, but the Cowboys believe in taking risks with talented players. That approach puts them in a position to have more players potentially suspended than clubs that take a conservative approach to high-risk players.
Gregory, a top-10 talent, dropped to the bottom of the second round after failing a drug test at the NFL scouting combine prior to the draft. McClain, selected by the Oakland Raiders with the eighth …
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