AUSTIN - Oakland offensive lineman Kevin Gogan jokingly calls the Raiders
"Cowboys West" after being joined in silver and black by former
Dallas teammates Larry Brown and Russell Maryland this offseason.
But unlike teams that have made Cowboy free agents like Dixon Edwards, Robert
Jones and Ron Stone $10 million men, the Raiders aren't looking for mere
Super Bowl experience in taking talent from the world champions.
Believe it or not, the bad boy Raiders are looking for discipline.
"Basically, what Russell and Larry bring is a work ethic," said
Raiders coach Mike White, whose team wrapped up three days of practice with
Dallas on Wednesday.
"They bring pure pressure because they are there every day working
and know how to do things.
"You can call it leadership, but really it's an example that they set
that we needed more of," White said. "We need that consistent
work ethic so that as a season wears on, we are not sagging."
Sagging may be an understatement for what the Raiders did last year, losing
their final six games to finish 8-8 and miss the playoffs.
"I think both Dallas and Oakland are full of talent, but I think Dallas
has been more disciplined," said Brown, a cornerback named the most
valuable player in the Cowboys' Super Bowl victory over Pittsburgh last
year.
"This year, our focus is to be disciplined," Brown said. "Let's
not make mistakes. Let's not get into the stupid things. Let's not let people
lure us into the trap that the Raiders are nasty players and everything.
"For us, we are just going to try to stay together and play together."
Maryland is a relentless worker on the defensive line who figures to help
Oakland stop the run. He doesn't hesitate to counsel his new teammates,
even offensive players like rookie tight end Rickey Dudley.
Maryland told Dudley to study game films of Cowboys tight end Jay Novacek
to learn some lessons on possession receiving.
"I know they are an aggressive bunch of guys and that's what Raiders
football has always symbolized," Maryland said. "The commitment
is to be aggressive, not to be dirty."
Brown says in the past, the Raiders may have suffered a little from their
renegade approach when the team faced adversity.
"Nobody has ever questioned the Raiders' talent," Brown said.
"It's the attitude and the desire to pull together to go where you
want to go.
"I can see a bond forming this year to get the guys to go where we
want to go. It's hard to get all the personalities together."
With Dallas facing depth problems in its secondary because of Kevin Smith's
recovery from a ruptured achilles and Deion Sanders wanting to play more
receiver, Brown took a light jab at his old team for not making an effort
to keep him.
"In this league, you need four or five corners who can play, and I
think the Cowboys are beginning to realize that," he said.
Maryland and Brown both said returning to the Cowboys' training camp as
Raiders was a bit awkward.
"It feels odd," said Brown, who predicted that Dallas and Oakland
will both finish 12-4 this year. "When you spend five years of your
life somewhere, you get adjusted to a whole team and the friendships.
"But I think now I am adjusted to being a Raider, so I'm ready to move
on."
"It feels real funny being back," Maryland said. "But I was
looking forward to playing against the guys and seeing the guys again because
I know I might not see them until the Super Bowl, hopefully."