IRVING, Texas -- After the NFL draft, Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones talked about one of his undrafted free-agent signings as if he stole something.

The Cowboys signed guard Ronald Leary with the hopes that he can make the 53-man roster as a backup guard or maybe clear waivers and get added to the practice squad.

After offseason workouts and three days of practices with the rookies this week, Leary said he's feeling good about working with the full squad, which starts practices Monday in Oxnard, Calif.

Leary hasn't endured any problems with his left knee, which suffers from a condition known as osteochondritis dissecans -- also referred to as OCD. It's a joint condition in which a piece of cartilage, along with a thin layer of the bone beneath it, comes loose from the end of a bone.

If anything, Leary appears to be moving quite well. Between the offseason workouts and the three-day rookie training camp, Leary said he's lost weight and is currently at 319 pounds. Instead of heading home to Baton Rouge, Leary stayed in Dallas to workout at Valley Ranch.

"I'm nowhere near where I want to be," Leary said. "It's just about a transition in the NFL because it's a different game. I'm trying to get all the techniques from my coach and just talk to the vets and pick up little tips and play my game."