Cowboys Glad to Have Casillas Aboard

The Dallas Cowboys welcomed Tony Casillas to training camp Monday with the news that he will be stationed at left tackle where No. 1 draft pick Russell Maryland also plays.

“We’ll put Tony at left tackle where he and Russ can compete,” defensive line coach Butch Davis said. “It will be good for the team. We can put a fresh hoss in there all the time. It might even prolong both of their careers.”

Dallas gave the Atlanta Falcons two 1992 draft picks, including a second-rounder, for the former University of Oklahoma All-American who was a first-round pick five years ago.

Casillas flew into Austin Monday and took a physical but did not practice.

“Everything works out,” Casillas said. “I was in a situation with the Falcons where I felt I got shafted and now I’m with an upcoming program.

“When I announced my retirement I didn’t mean the NFL. I meant the Falcons. I achieved my goal. I got out of Atlanta.”

The Cowboys gave Casillas a two-year extension on his contract through 1993.

“I know I’ll be going against Russell but I think both of us can help the team,” Casillas said. “This is not an individual deal. This is get people who can do it. I’ve got something to prove to myself and Atlanta. They made a mistake.”

Under new coach Jerry Glanville, Casillas lost his starting position last year.

“The first day I got off on a bad foot by holding out and he made an example of me,” Casillas said.

Davis said Casillas will help the Cowboys be much better against the run.

“Don’t forget we are in the division where they play ‘smash ball,”’ Davis said of the NFC East. “In our league the Giants, the Redskins and the Cardinals all play keep-away football.”

Davis said the competition between Casillas and Maryland might “give them a chance of playing a high level of intensity at all times.”

Defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt said the Cowboys had to have up-front help “because of the way our run defense looked last year. We had to shore it up. Tony is a hard worker and an intense player.”

“It’s a brutal position to play, a tough spot,” he said. “We have more wear and tear from our left tackles than any spot on defense. You never have enough good ones. We’ll be able to rotate the guys.”

Dallas Coach Jimmy Johnson said: “Casillas is one of the better defensive players in the NFL. We will be solid on the inside because of the division we are in. We can substitute a lot and keep everybody fresh.”