IRVING -- Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant just wants to be on the field again -- even for practice. He nearly skipped into place as he lined up during the walk-through session Wednesday at the final organized team activity of the offseason.

The good news for the Pro Bowler is that he's been medically cleared after undergoing surgery in January on his right foot. Last week's X-ray certified Bryant's progress and led to him taking part in individual drills at Tuesday's OTA for the first time this offseason.

But the Cowboys cut him back to just the walk-through Wednesday, the same involvement he had for the first two weeks of the voluntary OTAs, and a sign of the vigilance they are taking with Bryant's return. He did manage to sneak in a one-handed grab before heading to the weight room for rehab.

"It's crazy -- Coach [Jason Garrett] be teasing me with that stuff, man," Bryant said from the Valley Ranch locker room. "Be bringing me out there just for a little bit. It happens. It feels good to be out there, especially going through those drills."

Bryant could crank up his activity some at next week's mandatory, three-day minicamp, but the Cowboys aren't going to let him be a full participant until training camp, which begins in late July in Oxnard, Calif.

"We're going to take this thing day by day," Bryant said. "I feel good mentally, and I think for me that's the most important thing right now."

Garrett emphasized that the Cowboys will be "deliberate" in bringing back players from injury.

"Dez did some individual work [Tuesday]. He was really good his first day back," Garrett said. "We'll bump him up if we feel like we want to, but we don't anticipate him practicing fully at all in the minicamp, but hopefully he will get some productive work in."

Cowboys officials have talked this offseason about the value in Bryant's limited participation in workouts and his engagement in sessions after he missed most of last offseason while negotiating a five-year, $70 million deal. He went on to an injury-cursed and frustrating 2015 season, totaling 31 catches, 401 yards and three touchdowns in just nine games.

"Just being around my teammates," Bryant said, "just having that feel, seeing everybody, having conversations with everybody, I think that's what a lot of people don't realize. You need that to help boost confidence and just learning new things on and off the field, technique-wise or in the film room. All those play a big factor for Sunday games."

Bryant, who is entering his seventh season in Dallas, isn't worried about having to get back on the same page as quarterback Tony Romo, who was limited to only four games last season because of injury.

But they need to spend time on the field together again, Garrett said, even though the history between the quarterback and receiver helps.

"Those guys will get plenty of opportunities to do that throughout training camp," Garrett said. "It starts with the basic stuff -- throwing routes on air, then throwing one-on-ones and getting in 7-on-7 situations and then team situations. Those guys do have a great foundation of playing together for a number of years now, but you have to recapture that, and you have to earn that all over again."

Bryant said he's been aided in his recovery by working out with teammates such as cornerback Orlando Scandrick and tight end Gavin Escobar, who are also coming back from injury and have been pushed and protected by athletic trainer Britt Brown. The teammates used their time together to plan for the upcoming season.

"That's one thing we do a damn good job of, challenging each other and pushing to the max," Bryant said. "It's different whenever you're just working alone. We're going to be damn good. I think this was a minor setback for a huge comeback for all of us."

Bryant, chatty and thoughtful in wide-ranging interviews Wednesday that included talk about fatherhood and the national spelling bee co-champion who is a devoted fan, took to a question about his thoughts on Muhammad Ali, who died last week.

Bryant, who has watched video of Ali, said he and a college buddy used to debate the greatness of boxers Mike Tyson and Ali.

"The reason why I give it to Ali is because when you tell somebody you're going to do something before you do it, it don't get no better than that," Bryant said. "Whenever I see him floating around that ring, just looking at some of those old-school fights that he had, it just gives you chills."

Twitter: @khairopoulos