Jeremy Mincey is talking boldly for a free agent whose 2015 production diminished significantly from the year before.
The Cowboys defensive end talked about the toxicity of teammate Greg Hardy on a local television station and basically issued an ultimatum to the team, according to ESPN.
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Mincey was asked about the prospects of Dallas bringing back the mercurial Hardy in 2016 in terms of impact in the locker room, and Mincey responded somewhat defensively.
"It would be me or him, you see what I'm saying?" Mincey told KDFW-TV on Sunday. "Like, you could have either or. It's hard to have two type of line mentality guys in one room, so it's tough to figure out who the younger guys are going to follow. Of course they're going to look up to a guy who's a prolific player. But I just understand the game, and I know what it takes to win."
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Mincey suggested that Hardy brought a different vibe to the Cowboys locker room that just didn't mesh with the rest of the team, creating tension among players.
"I hate [that] it happened. You talk about a team that was so close knit and tight, and all of a sudden it was just different," said Mincey, who had zero sacks in 2015 compared to six in 2014. "I wouldn't say that he's the reason for that happening, but sometimes change, sometimes if it ain't broke, don't fix it. You know what I mean? And sometimes with change, the team is different. Regardless of how great this athlete is and regardless of this and that, if they're not mentally on the same page, you're not going to get the same results."
The Cowboys were hoping for some kind of spark from Hardy -- whose first game of the season came in Week 5 after he had to serve a four-game suspension for his involvement in a domestic violence incident in 2014 -- after quarterback Tony Romo went down with a shoulder injury in Week 2.
And though he had a couple of strong games, Hardy's season deteriorated, especially after photos were made public of his victim, allegedly taken a day after he was accused of domestic violence.
"He sits right beside me, so he's welcomed every day, you know what I mean? I have to deal with him, and being that you have to deal with him, I grew accustomed to a misunderstood person and I got to know him a little better than a lot of people did," Mincey said. "It was tough. It was tough. You know, you got this guy, who you want to be a leader, and then you got that guy. It was just too much."
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