Former NFL scout and Dallas Cowboys writer Bryan Broaddus joined 105.3 The Fan's Shan and RJ Show, which is broadcast over public airwaves, to talk NFC East free agency, Tony Romo and more. Here are some highlights:
On the Giants' 2017 prospects
Broaddus: If the Giants get a running back, then they get my attention. If they find a way to keep Eli Manning up right, not take a bunch of quarterback hits with that offensive line, I'll pay attention. It's interesting how teams are just throwing a lot of money in free agency. I've had players tell me, "If I get a lot of money in free agency, I'm gone, I'm not staying around here." That's what it is. A lot of teams have a lot of cap room; a lot of teams don't have 13 wins.
This team's letting some defensive players walk them out the door. This defense wasn't good enough to get them further into the playoffs. Take the opportunity to let some guys walk and then turn around and draft some guys to make this work.
On bringing Tony Romo to Dallas
Broaddus: I remember all the guys who helped bring him here. I remember Sean Payton sitting with him on the phone, holding his hand the whole draft. I remember Chris Hall not letting his tag fall out of the fifth round ... it became a priority for us to go get him.
I remember walking in the locker room and handing Tony every report that's ever written about him and saying: These are the people who cared about you. Everybody else? Don't believe it. I'll always remember that. I'll always remember how he came in as a kid who was a bad practice player but always tried to frustrate the defense by throwing the other way, not reading the scout-team card. It was kind of funny. He really went full circle and went from being a crazy scout-team quarterback to a crazy veteran scout-team quarterback. I'll always remember him laying it on the line when things seemed to be at their darkest. He shined the brightest. It doesn't always reflect in the wins and losses but the guy gave you everything he had in his ability and that's all we could've asked when we brought him here in 2003.
On Romo's legacy
Broaddus: I think he was clutch. I think there were times when this wasn't an eight-win team, maybe it was a 5-10 team and he willed you to three more victories by the way he played, the fourth quarter, the comebacks. With Romo you have to think about the clutch factor.
Should he make it in Ring of Honor?
Broaddus: Absolutely.
Do you agree with the way the front office handled this?
Broaddus: I wish they could've made a deal but I understand where, talking to [Broncos GM John] Elway, those teams weren't going to step up. I saw ... John McClain the highly respected writer from the Houston paper said he didn't think Romo would end up in Houston. So give Elway credit.
On defensive exodus:
Broaddus: The Cowboys are looking at this and they're saying OK if we lose a couple of corners, lose a couple of safeties, this is the strength of the draft. ...
We talk about how many corners are in this draft heck all you had to do was watch the third day of the combine and you're watching all these corners move around and saying heck, this guy can play and this guy can play. There's no mystery to this. You might actually be getting better players in this draft than the ones walking out the door and you're a 13-3 team. So to the walk to the edge of the ledge and think about jumping? Turn back around and go do some more work on the college players.
On the Giants' 2017 prospects
Broaddus: If the Giants get a running back, then they get my attention. If they find a way to keep Eli Manning up right, not take a bunch of quarterback hits with that offensive line, I'll pay attention. It's interesting how teams are just throwing a lot of money in free agency. I've had players tell me, "If I get a lot of money in free agency, I'm gone, I'm not staying around here." That's what it is. A lot of teams have a lot of cap room; a lot of teams don't have 13 wins.
This team's letting some defensive players walk them out the door. This defense wasn't good enough to get them further into the playoffs. Take the opportunity to let some guys walk and then turn around and draft some guys to make this work.
On bringing Tony Romo to Dallas
Broaddus: I remember all the guys who helped bring him here. I remember Sean Payton sitting with him on the phone, holding his hand the whole draft. I remember Chris Hall not letting his tag fall out of the fifth round ... it became a priority for us to go get him.
I remember walking in the locker room and handing Tony every report that's ever written about him and saying: These are the people who cared about you. Everybody else? Don't believe it. I'll always remember that. I'll always remember how he came in as a kid who was a bad practice player but always tried to frustrate the defense by throwing the other way, not reading the scout-team card. It was kind of funny. He really went full circle and went from being a crazy scout-team quarterback to a crazy veteran scout-team quarterback. I'll always remember him laying it on the line when things seemed to be at their darkest. He shined the brightest. It doesn't always reflect in the wins and losses but the guy gave you everything he had in his ability and that's all we could've asked when we brought him here in 2003.
On Romo's legacy
Broaddus: I think he was clutch. I think there were times when this wasn't an eight-win team, maybe it was a 5-10 team and he willed you to three more victories by the way he played, the fourth quarter, the comebacks. With Romo you have to think about the clutch factor.
Should he make it in Ring of Honor?
Broaddus: Absolutely.
Do you agree with the way the front office handled this?
Broaddus: I wish they could've made a deal but I understand where, talking to [Broncos GM John] Elway, those teams weren't going to step up. I saw ... John McClain the highly respected writer from the Houston paper said he didn't think Romo would end up in Houston. So give Elway credit.
On defensive exodus:
Broaddus: The Cowboys are looking at this and they're saying OK if we lose a couple of corners, lose a couple of safeties, this is the strength of the draft. ...
We talk about how many corners are in this draft heck all you had to do was watch the third day of the combine and you're watching all these corners move around and saying heck, this guy can play and this guy can play. There's no mystery to this. You might actually be getting better players in this draft than the ones walking out the door and you're a 13-3 team. So to the walk to the edge of the ledge and think about jumping? Turn back around and go do some more work on the college players.
