The NFL Network's Jane Slater, formerly of WFAA (Ch. 8) and KTVT (Ch. 11), joined Shan & RJ on KRLD-FM 105.3 The Fan. Here are some highlights.
What's jumped out about this Pro Bowl?
Jane Slater: I think the instant camaraderie. Ezekiel Elliott, we know him in Dallas to be this class clown. Seeing him out here ... him and Michael Bennett have developed a bromance. These two love each other. I was at the team hotel last night in the lobby, talking to Odell Beckham and Zeke. And these two were joking about wanting a reality show in the offseason showing them traveling. Which I would 1,000 percent tune in for.
It's been interesting to see how these guys are jelling and bonding. A lot of the guys that don't have the families here are hitting all the golf courses in Orlando. Dak, I was just kind of watching him take it all in. Zeke kind of plunges head first. Dak has really talked about how he's soaking it all in. He's watching everything (Drew Brees) is doing. Everything from how he walks off the field, handles the media, his approach in practice, something as simple as how he ties his shoes. What I always appreciate about Dak is his ability to kind of step back and appreciate where he is right now.
Do you think Cowboys fans should be sweating Dez's window might be closing earlier because of the type of player he is and the type of injuries he's had?
Jane Slater: He's 28 years old. He's not that old in terms of being a wide receiver. I still think he's got a lot of competitive juice in him. You saw what he was able to do in the playoffs. He looks strong. He was able to overcome the injury that he had this season. Did you see anything last year that suggested that you're worried that Dez is slowing down?
What made this season magical for the Cowboys?
Jane Slater: When the guys talked about they never saw themselves as rookies, it was so true. The way that Ezekiel Elliott handled himself. To have the rookie season that he had, to lead the league in rushing. The way this team responded in the absence of Tony Romo. I thought it was great to see Dak Prescott, this rookie, get these guys to buy in ... guys like Jason Witten to buy into his leadership and to follow him. I talked to so many guys that wanted to see Dak succeed. I thought that was the mark of a true leader. Chemistry was genuine. There really is a swagger about this Cowboys team that I haven't seen in a long time.
What do you think is going to happen with Tony Romo?
Jane Slater: I don't think anybody knows. I talked to somebody that's incredibly close to him over the weekend and even he said that nobody knows. I think Jerry is really examining the market, which is why he's also trying to cool the talk of Tony Romo. I do think he's gonna be a tough sell. This is a 37-year-old guy that has a number of injuries. I could see a situation where they just outright release him. I just don't know what the market is gonna be for him, though.
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