McClain a no-show

The Dallas Cowboys departed for training camp on Thursday, and linebacker Rolando McClain was not among the players on the team’s chartered flight, according to a source. Coach Jason Garrett said Tuesday that he expected McClain to join the team on the flight. He is still under contract but must sit out the first 10 games of the season for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.

The Dallas Cowboys departed for training camp on Thursday, and linebacker Rolando McClain was not among the players on the team’s chartered flight, according to a source. Coach Jason Garrett said Tuesday that he expected McClain to join the team on the flight. He is still under contract with the Cowboys. However, it remains unknown whether McClain opted to arrange his own travel to training camp. That is common for players who reside on the West Coast and just meet the team at camp headquarters. The first practice is Saturday. Executive vice president Stephen Jones described the issues with McClain as a “work in progress” on Wednesday. McClain is facing a 10-game suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy, and has been prone to skip offseason work. McClain did not participate in voluntary workouts during the offseason, but did report for a three-day mandatory mini-camp in June. When healthy and available, McClain has provided the Cowboys with a physical presence on defense the past two seasons. But his looming suspension has forced the Cowboys to go outside for help. The team signed Justin Durant earlier this month to add more depth.