Former Dallas Cowboys’ defensive end Greg Ellis put together a very nice, 12-year career in the NFL, but in the eyes of many, he’ll always be better known as the guy Dallas picked over Randy Moss back in 1998. 16 years later, the Cowboys’ first round pick, Zack Martin enters the league in much the same position as Ellis, as Dallas passed on Johnny Manziel to bring the offensive tackle from Notre Dame into the fold.
“He’s going to go through the same thing I did when the Dallas Cowboys passed on Randy Moss and took me with the eighth pick," Ellis said, per Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPN Dallas. "It followed me throughout my career. Johnny is the more exciting player playing the more exciting position. Randy Moss was the more exciting player playing the more exciting position. The Cowboys drafted what they needed last night just like they did with me.
"If Tony Romo is still your guy and you feel like you can make a run with him, then you can’t spend your first pick on quarterback. Hopefully, both kids will turn out to be good football players like Randy Moss and Greg Ellis.”
Four years retired from the NFL now, Ellis’s advice to Martin is, simply enough, don’t pay any mind to the inevitable comparisons.
“While Randy was making millions and scoring touchdowns, I was doing my best to help the Dallas Cowboys win,” Ellis said. “I put the team first, realizing that this is the job they’ve given me to do. ...
“If Johnny is having a Pro Bowl rookie season, Zack can’t think about punishing a guy and making a highlight film, if the play calls for him to zone block. He can’t worry about the reporters and media. He just needs to worry about himself.”
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