DALLAS - Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jason Hatcher joined me on our 105.3 The Fan radio show on Thursday saying he's looking forward to the "fun" of the rivalry between his former Cowboys team and his new Redskins team - and added some fuel to that fire by detailing what he sees as a difference in the two programs.
"They really take care of the veteran guys," Hatcher said of the Redskins, who lured the free agent from Dallas with a four-year, $27.5 million contract. "They give us more say-so over the team. This is our team. The head coach (first-year man Jay Gruden) don't want to be policing the team. This is our team, so when we set the foundation for this football team, the way it's supposed to go, that's the way it's supposed to go, through the players and not the coaches. It's a players team, so whatever we say goes, pretty much, if it's going in the right direction."
Hatcher, 31, spent his first eight NFL seasons in Dallas, most recently under coach Jason Garrett.
"Every coach has a different approach," Hatcher told me. "But there's a lot of things different here."
There are also a lot of different takes on how Valley Ranch is run. Ex-coach Jimmy Johnson has called it a "country club." Ex-safety Darren Woodson told The Fan that owner Jerry Jones' presence caused Garrett to be a less effective leader. Now, Hatcher suggested that Garrett's control may be overbearing.
Different things. Different takes. More fuel on the fire.
