Terence Newman did an interview before the release of T.O. and did not pull any punches. T-New didn't really talk T.O. that much, but man, he was really candid in his answers. I suggest you go listen to the whole interview but below are some of the choice excerpts.
Make the jump to read the rest.
Here's Newman on cliques and divided locker rooms.
"I think that one guy bickering with another guy, it kind of divided the team a little bit," Newman said. "I think that was one of the things that kind of separated the team and didn't allow us to play as a team down the stretch."
OK, there you have a guy on the team saying that chemistry and the relationships between the players did affect their ability to play on the field. Not much ambiguity in his statements.
On Romo being a leader:
"He should be the first person to say something," Newman said. "And I think with all the criticism he's gotten this off-season I think he'll definitely be more vocal in this next season and understand what it takes to be a leader."
On the Phillips 34:
"We're pretty simple on our defense, I think. We line up and teams are calling out what we're doing," Newman said. "In the middle of games they're calling out 'OK he's coming, he's coming' and they're right.
"I would like to see us get a little more moving parts, like Pittsburgh and Baltimore, those guys have fun. A 3-4 is supposed to be designed where you don't know whose coming. You don't know what coverage we're gonna be in. I think at times we got a little plain and teams capitalized on that."
Wow, tell us how you feel T-New. I wonder how that's going to go over with Wade Phillips?
On communication:
"If we're a team, why can't we communicate with each other? We're the ones that are playing the game on Sundays," he said. "We have to communicate on the field. We have to communicate in practice. So why not talk to the people you have to make adjustments with instead of wasting it all the time with the media? That's what's gonna be important for us in the future."
I mean you really got to listen to the interview. T-New just says what he thinks on a variety of subjects and says guys were griping and complaining about calls on the field, the defense and just all kinds of subjects.
T-New respects Bradie James and feels he's the leader on this team. He mentioned Tony's limelight girlfriend and how that might have affected his play and leadership. And he says that Romo has to go to the receivers and tell them what's going to happen and take control. He suggested that they start switching up roommates on the road to create a better bonding situation and that guys should get to know each other in the lunch room, very Remember the Titans stuff. He even thinks that Jerry, to some extent, might have cut the knees off some of the coaches in terms of getting the football more to T.O.
Seriously, go listen to the interview. I'm not sure this is the kind of stuff you want to talk to the media about. Some of it may be true but there's a time and place for everything. I'm sure the Cowboys will not be happy with some parts of this interview.
Brief update on Kevin Burnett and Keith Davis.
Free agent linebacker Kevin Burnett is still in talks with several teams and hopes to get a deal done by Tuesday. Oakland and San Diego have exchanged contract numbers with Burnett, according to his agent, Ricky Lefft.
Free agent safety Keith Davis returned from a visit to Kansas City without a contract offer.