OXNARD, Calif. (AP) - Rolando McClain's surgically repaired right knee isn't ready for training camp, and the Dallas linebacker will miss the first four games of the regular season for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy.
But simply having McClain in California in the meantime is good enough for defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli. He says he likes hanging out with McClain, likes him in meetings, and says McClain is rehabbing his way to good health.
McClain was in his home state of Alabama most of the offseason for rehabilitation after arthroscopic surgery, and that was after frequently missing practice in his first season with Dallas.
The absences naturally led to questions about the desire of a mercurial player who sat out in 2013 and twice walked away from Baltimore after saying he planned to come out of retirement. He was with the Ravens because Oakland had given up on him three disappointing years after drafting him in the top 10 in 2010.
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