Cowboys: Summer break is time to cross fingers

With organized team activities and minicamp in the books, the Dallas Cowboys have officially dispersed for summer break.

The most dangerous part of the off-season is underway where no player news is good news before training camp starts on July 28th.

The one exception would be the NFL officially announcing DeMarcus Lawrence‘s suspension and ruling on his appeal.

If the reduction appeal from four suspended games to two is rejected, even that news will be unwelcome.

The reasons for holding breath and crossing fingers over the next month are endless.

Free time, summer temptations, and vast disposable income are a dangerous combination for many 20-something pro athletes.

In just 12 days we’ll be reading July 5th news articles on the latest tragedies involving the fireworks impaired.

Last July the New York Giants lost their top pass rusher Jason Pierre-Paul for training camp and eight games to a gruesome fireworks mishap.

With 1 sack in 2015, he dropped 11.5 sacks from his 2014 performance. Even more painful was losing three digits off his right hand.

Note to Cowboys players, go watch a professional show in a scenic location and let the fireworks pros entertain the football pros.

Aside from the holiday weekend, many players take a week or two away from football and travel on vacation over the break.

Nothing wrong with a chill getaway to relax the mind and body. But many young athletes don’t view lounging on a secure beach as letting loose.

Some crave wild pool parties, nightclubs, gentleman’s clubs…LA, Vegas, Miami…basically the Johnny Manziel plan.

Intoxicated fans, party drugs, gold diggers and a plethora of career landmines are salivating for NFL players to hit the party scene.

Everybody owns a cell phone…what happens in Vegas, (no longer) stays in Vegas.

As it stands, two Cowboys (Lawrence, Randy Gregory) already face 2016 suspensions for failed drug tests.

It’s doubtful Dallas looks forward to Gregory having weeks of down time to fill considering his many failed drug tests over the last year.

Aside from those two, there are other Cowboys who discovered the same suspension fate during previous summer breaks.

Last July Rolando McClain was handed a four game suspension for a failed drug test.

In 2013 he was arrested for disorderly conduct after yelling at police at a park party.

Both of those harmful situations occurred while filling free time in Alabama.

Orlando Scandrick failed a drug test in April 2014 after he took MDMA while vacationing in Mexico. The news broke in July.

The trip happened before summer break, but was the same type of vacation some Cowboys are preparing to embark upon.

For those keeping score, that’s four drug suspensions handed down to four key defensive starters in the past two years.

Let’s not forget Darren McFadden broke his elbow last week while supposedly protecting his cell phone from a fall.

Not sure I’m buying the story his tumble took place without a few too many cocktails clouding judgement.

Fireworks explosions, excessive drinking, drugs, wild parties, altercations…the landmines litter the landscape of summer break.

Here’s to a month of reading tame stories on Cowboys weight room sightings and player/season predictions.

With a rash of injuries and two suspensions already gnawing on the roster, five weeks of summer boredom is just what the doctor ordered.