rolando mcclain.jpg

Dallas Cowboys middle linebacker Rolando McClain is congratulated by his teammates after he intercepted a pass and ran it for a touchdown during an NFL game against the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 22, 2015, in Miami Gardens, Fla.

(AP Photo)

The Dallas Cowboys concluded their Organized Team Activity workouts on Wednesday, and linebacker Rolando McClain didn't attend any of the offseason practice sessions. Jerry Jones, the Cowboys' owner and general manager, said McClain's absence was expected.

"Certainly, there are no surprises with Rolando at all," Jones said.

Dallas coach Jason Garrett said at the midpoint of the Cowboys' OTAs on June 1 that McClain was "dealing with a family issue in Alabama" and he hoped the former Alabama All-American would join the team's drills the following week.

But during an appearance on KRLD-FM 105.3 in Dallas on Wednesday, Jones said the Cowboys had had an "understanding" with McClain since he joined the team that he would spend most of the offseason with his two sons in Alabama.

"It's fair to everybody to understand that Rolando's boys, his family lives in Alabama and he doesn't live with them," Jones said. "His former significant other is where they are. His offseason is spent with those boys, and that's an understanding we have when he came through the door. He has to be there to spend time with them, and we expect him to compensate for that.

"These are volunteer workouts he's missing, and just coming in, we haven't had any time with him since he's been with the Cowboys when he didn't have quite a few, if not many, times that he wasn't on the field for these volunteer workouts. A lot of times, it's been because of limitation. It's been because of some injury, some rehab going on. But many times, it's to be there because of his boys. They motivate him, and they are the reason, for the most part -- or not the reason, but certainly one of the big reasons -- he participates in pro sports.

"He gets slack. But you have to earn a special consideration, and, to some degree, if you look at how his impact when he's there with us on the field, what he can do for our team, if you look at his background in the NFL, how he's evolved. I'm glad he's a Cowboy."

McClain is entering his third season with the Cowboys since coming out of retirement to step in as Dallas' middle linebacker before the 2014 season.

McClain didn't join the Cowboys that year until July 1 - after OTAs and minicamp had concluded. McClain also missed Dallas' OTAs last year. The former Decatur High School standout had offseason knee surgery and did his rehabilitation in Alabama in 2015.

Dallas will hold its three-day minicamp next week before breaking until training camp next month. Unlike OTAs, where attendance is voluntary, the minicamp is a mandatory offseason activity, and players can be fined for not attending.

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