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NFL Notes

>>No Word From Giants DE Pierre-Paul

The New York Giants have no firsthand knowledge about the extent of the hand injuries Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul sustained in a July 4 fireworks accident in Florida.

A seemingly frustrated co-owner John Mara disclosed that most of the Giants' knowledge about JPP's condition has come from his agents and through text messages with the 26-year-old, who was tagged as a franchise player and due to make at least $14.8 million this season.

Mara said the team hasn't been allowed to examine Pierre-Paul, so it has no idea either when he will be able to play or when he will show up at training camp.

 width=Mara invited Pierre-Paul to come to Giants headquarters for treatment, reiterating that anyone telling him not to do that is giving him bad advice.

Mara said the Giants are aware of reports Pierre-Paul had a finger amputated in the accident and fractured a thumb, but the team has not been able to verify that. He added the team is planning to move ahead without him at this point.

>>Enthusiastic WR Bryant Arrives At Cowboys Camp

Dez Bryant took a couple of long pauses, first to search for a way to describe how he has matured and then to find the right word to describe skeptics who think he hasn't changed at all.

The Dallas Cowboys All-Pro receiver could relax on the first day of training camp Thursday, thanks to the five-year, $70 million contract that was the only reason he was there in the first place.

And as much as he wants to show he's not the same guy known early in his career for legal troubles and sideline antics, Bryant emphasized that money won't change him after he threatened to skip camp and maybe even regular-season games without the long-term financial security he felt he waited too long to get.

Even if he says he isn't.

Bryant credited Jay Z's Roc Nation talent agency with helping him refine his communication skills, although it was still hard for him to illustrate how they did it. Bryant's representatives also had to work to get a deal with the Cowboys until the final hours before a July 15 deadline that would have forced him to play under a one-year deal, or not at all.

Bryant occasionally showed frustration on Twitter about how long it was taking for a long-term deal. But the posts were measured compared to the volatile player who's been caught on camera screaming at players and coaches during games, or leaving the sideline before the clock ran out in a particularly painful loss.

Does he still have work to do? Sure. He dropped an expletive at the end of an answer about how he can't pay attention when issues arise and people "overreact" - that's the word he was trying to find during one of the pauses. He covered his sheepish smile with his hand, then pulled it away.

"I'm back," he said, still smiling.

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