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IRVING, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said Monday the rules placed on wide receiver Dez Bryant are meant to hold him accountable and support his family. Bryant has agreed to strict guidelines from team officials regarding his conduct away from the field. Some of the guidelines say Bryant has a midnight curfew, can't drink alcohol or attend strip clubs and must have a security team taking him to and from team functions, practices and games. "Like we've talked before, we want to support Dez Bryant and we want to support Dez Bryant's family and do anything that we can as an organization using our players assistance, players development program to help him, just like we would with any player," Garrett said before Monday's practice at Valley Ranch. "The balance with all is you want to support them and you want to help them but you also want to hold them accountable. We feel like we do that throughout our organization, with all our guys. We believe in player development and we believe in helping them as football players on the field and as people off the field. What we've tried to do is come up with a plan for Dez, like we would for any player who we feel like needs our support and help him be his best as a player and as a person. And the accountability factor is an important part of that with him and with anybody on our football team." The guidelines established by the Cowboys came forth after a July 14 incident in which Bryant was charged with allegedly assaulting his mother, Angela Bryant. Bryant was charged with a Class A misdemeanor by the DeSoto Police Department. The Dallas Country district attorney's office is still reviewing the case and trying to determine whether charges should be filed. Bryant's arrest also subjects him to a possible suspension or fine by the NFL as part of the league's personal conduct policy. League officials are still reviewing the case. "We're going to control what we can control as an organization and Dez has done everything that we've asked him to do up to this point both on and off the football field," Garrett said. "And we're going to continue to just move forward with what we can do as an organization as individuals within the organization and any decision about that is out of our control." On Saturday night, Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said the rules applied to Bryant are not the strictest he's imposed on a player. Jones said Bryant is willing to abide by the rules. "Oh yeah, very much willing to do anything he can to help himself and help the team," Jones said of Bryant. "He's very open-minded and cooperative. He's doing the right things by his teammates and everybody is counting on him. Eugene Parker, Bryant's agent, said he and his client deem the rules fair. NFLPA officials told Parker the rules were voluntary and the association wouldn't contest them with the league or the Cowboys unless Bryant had issues with them. Bryant, who isn't available to comment with reporters, pending his legal situation, isn't expected to play in Wednesday night's final preseason game against Miami because of knee tendinitis.
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