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Former teammate says Greg Hardy was 'unmanageable' at times

Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

Greg Hardy is expected to make a decision Wednesday between the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but regardless of where he signs, the defensive end will be coming with a lot of baggage. 

Despite having the domestic violence charges against him dismissed, Hardy remains on the commissioner's exempt list and is facing a possible suspension. There's also the question of how he will be regarded in the locker room.

Former Carolina Panthers teammate Ben Hartsock appeared on ESPN 103.3 FM on Tuesday and was asked whether Hardy was worth the risk.

"Well, I think that's a great question," Hartsock said, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. "When he's on the field, he's a dominant force. Because of that, he's going to get more leniency. The issue he has right now is whether he's too toxic. He's going to be on a very, very short leash. If he screws up one more time, I believe he'll be on his way out. But I do believe he's going to get another chance and I think he deserves it."

Hartsock added that while Hardy is an exceptional player, he can be unpredictable off the field.

"You trust him to the extent that you don't necessarily know what you're going to get," Hartsock said. "The Greg Hardy that was on the field was going to be a nightmare for the opposing team. But then you go in and everybody is in the hot tub or the cold tub after practice just shooting the breeze and the guy carries on a very reasonable, level-headed inquisitive type of conversation. But then there are other times when he's just unmanageable. And that's why I think things have gotten in trouble with his personal life. He's going have to go a long ways to earn the trust of any organization, whether it be Dallas or any other franchise across the league.

"His reputation has now become an Achilles heel. Trustworthy is kind of a sliding scale in the NFL. If you're talented and you have the ability and some skills that no one else has, trustworthiness can be slid a little bit more. Like I said, there aren't many people like him on the planet that can play and that can do the things that he does. But we are also in an NFL environment right now where any off-the-field liability is frowned upon very strongly."

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