IRVING, Texas -- Matt Cassel's first pass to Dez Bryant in pat-and-go to start Wednesday’s practice was a little long and a little outside and something of a reminder that the Dallas Cowboys' new starting quarterback has no time on task with the All-Pro wide receiver.

Dez Bryant was back at practice on Wednesday. AP Photo/Brandon Wade

Bryant returned to practice for the first time since Sept. 11 on a limited basis but he was able to get in plenty of work with Cassel as they look to speed up their on-field relationship since Cassel did not join the Cowboys until after Bryant got hurt.

“It was great to see him out there,” Cassel said. “I think everybody’s excited to have him out there. Obviously I haven’t had time with him so today was just being out there, getting a feel for him. I mean he’s a special player obviously. I’ve watched film on him and know what he’s capable of. ... Hopefully we can get some timing down over this next few days as we move into this weekend.”

Getting the extra time while Bryant is coming back from a broken right foot is a little more difficult. The Cowboys don’t want to overtax Bryant and have him too sore. But they want him to do enough to be ready to play Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks or know he needs some more time to get stronger.

Cassel threw for 227 yards on 17 of 27 passing with a touchdown and three interceptions in his debut last week against the New York Giants.

He was able to get the ball down the field with five passes of at least 20 yards, which should be a plus for when Bryant returns.

“Sometimes [building a rapport is] longer than others but at the same time I think it’s also understanding the concepts, how people come out of routes and do all that stuff,” Cassel said. “But at the same time I think it’s not something that is going to take so many weeks that you can’t get comfortable very quickly.”

Bryant is about as quarterback friendly as they come because of his athleticism, hands and competitiveness. When Cassel played in New England, he had Randy Moss.

“I think it creates an opportunity every time it’s one on one, and when you have a guy like that you want to give him opportunities down the field,” Cassel said. “And we know it’s his ball or nobody’s. That’s always a great thing to have for every quarterback.”