Cowboys believe they have right players around Hardy to succeed

— -- IRVING, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys defensive end Jeremy Mincey pulled Greg Hardy aside this week and spoke to him, big brother to little brother.

They talked about Hardy's temper tantrum midway through the fourth quarter that resulted in Hardy slapping at special teams coach Rich Bisaccia's clipboard after giving up a 100-yard kickoff return that gave the New York Giants a 27-20 lead.

"I've suggested he apologize, but that's all I can do," Mincey said. "He's not the kind of person you tell what to do."

Mincey, 31, an eight-year veteran, has bonded with Hardy over music. They each have a passion for rap and creating beats. Mincey tried to drop knowledge on Hardy the way veterans dropped it on him, when he was learning the game in Jacksonville.

"We come from similar backgrounds, and he loves music," Mincey said. "We do a lot of music together, and that's what opened him up to talk."

Their relationship allowed him to broach the topic of Hardy's sideline behavior and speak honestly with him about it.

"He's still fairly young. He's [27]. He's still in rock-star mode. Maturity comes with time," Mincey said. "When you see that light at the end of the tunnel you start wising up. That's what I try to teach him."

Hardy has yet to speak to the media since uttering a string of no comments after Sunday's game.

While Hardy was making headlines, he still had the support of both team owner Jerry Jones and head coach Jason Garrett, who believes he has built the Cowboys' roster to withstand the drama of high-profile, high-maintenance players such as Hardy.

Garrett has a roster full of players who toe the line, who show up where and when they're supposed to and do what they're supposed to. Garrett doesn't have to babysit them, which means he has time to handle Hardy, when necessary.

"Greg Hardy practices hard, he plays hard and he plays well in games. Greg Hardy, just like every one of us, is a work in progress. I'm a work in progress, our coaching staff is a work in progress, every player on our team is a work in progress. And I would probably make an argument that everybody in this room is a work in progress," Garrett said. "So what we're trying to do is develop Greg as a person and develop him as a player, just like we're trying to do with 52 other players on our active roster, 10 players on our practice roster and every coach and everybody else who is connected with our team. We're going to try to do that each and every day to be the best versions of ourselves."

On the field, the Cowboys are working to maximize Hardy's talent by any means necessary because he's one of the game's top pass-rushers. A big-time pass-rusher is the second-hardest position to fill, after the quarterback.

He has three sacks in his first two games since returning from suspension to start the season. His teammates respect his practice habits and how hard he plays. Remember, he was involved in a shouting match with former defensive lineman Davon Coleman in the offseason, because Hardy didn't think the youngster was practicing hard enough.

"I think he's a leader by example," Mincey said. "That's his strong suit. He does a good job of that because he loves football. How he practices and how he plays, he does a great job of preparing.

"[He's] coming along. He'll figure it out. I have faith in him. I really do. If everybody is good, we're good. And everybody seems good. The coaches seem like they're good. Everybody seems good."