Greg Ellis on Life as a Free Agent, His Future and Eating Bojangles in North Carolina
June 8, 2009 – 7:30 am by Will Brinson
Greg Ellis recently got cut by the Cowboys after Dallas was unable to trade the linebacker/defensive end, and now he should be a pretty prized free agent — especially in the South region.
That’s because Ellis is from Wendell, North Carolina (represent!) and is a rather popular player around here, especially because of his status as all-time sacks leader for the North Carolina TarHeels. This may also explain why he hopped on the horn with WRAL recently to discuss the life as a free agent, where he thought he was headed and the number on reason why playing for the Panthers would be awesome: Bojangles. Amen, brother.
On leaving Dallas on good terms:
“I left on good terms — I was surprised to be here as long as I was. The last couple of years, they’ve been drafting first rounders at the outside linebacker position. So, I thought it would be there before now, but it wasn’t, so it was good to be on the team as long as I was. I had some good years there, man, and that’s pretty much — it’s pretty much concluded and time to move on.”
On how long he’s gonna play:
“I’m anticpating right now, my career, I’m probably in that three-year contract frame. Teams may want to go longer — I will if they want to … Actually let me take that back, teams may be listening to this interview; I will consider those things and see what’s there first, but I’m thinking three years.”
On how he feels physically:
“Really well, man. Thank God I feel good — the last couple years I haven’t played a whole lot of football, actually. Not because of me wanting it that way, but they’ve been wanting to get some other guys out there, so I’ve been limited to how many plays I could play in the season. Now I look at it and it worked out for me because I didn’t have a lot of wear and tear.”
On wanting to be in a 3-4 or a 4-3 defense:
“Well, to me right now, Mark, I’m just really evaluating what teams are coming at me and what they want me to do. To be a 3-4 outside linebacker and I’m expected to do a lot of rushing, then yeah that’s a good situation. But to do it and end up in coverage that’s not a good situation. So I’m going to see how a team wants to use me and then once I commit to that team, I’ll give em all I’ve got to give them.”
On the Panthers/Redskins and a hometown discount:
“[Laughs] Yeah, they definitely would. It would be good to be in Carolina. Go ahead and get some Bojangles — we ain’t got any Bojangles in Texas. [Tons of laughter all around.] But, yeah, it would be “fun. It would be fun. I don’t know if it’s going to work out, if I’m going to end up there. Some people are talking to me and saying that Carolina’s interested, but I haven’t talked to the coach, or the general manager or the owner myself. Washington, I haven’t talked to them either. Washington seems a little more stacked at the position — which would be a defensive end position — but, you never know. But yeah, I would enteratain that; I’d love to play back on the east coast.”
Listen to Greg Ellis on WRAL in Raleigh with Dave Shore
Tags: Bojangles, Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys, Greg Ellis, NFL, Washington Redskins
