Dallas Cowboys Will Pass On PacMan And Stay Cool On Carr
DALLAS (105.3 THE FAN) - There is no linear connection between any Cowboys' "strong-arming'' of Brandon Carr due to his bloated contract and any Cowboys "interest'' in Adam "PacMan'' Jones as his replacement because there is no particular urgency for the first move and no particular interest at all in the second.
Sources tell me that while the Yahoo report regarding contact between former Cowboys cornerback PacMan Jones and team ownership during the NFL convention that is last week's Scouting Combine may be accurate, Dallas' scouting department and Dallas' coaching staff have no particular interest in the player, who had a good season with the Bengals this year but a previous stint with the Cowboys during which his behavior was terribly problematic.
The only thing right about a PacMan-Cowboys fit is this team's desire to use free agency for affordable talent. Jones was that last year at $1.55 million … but this is the right number, not the right guy.
Meanwhile, Carr is the right guy … at the wrong number. He's presently scheduled to earn $9.1 million in this final year of his deal with a $13.8 million cap hit. Cowboys executives are on-the-record with The Fan on wishing to explore ways to reduce that number. Among the options:
*Cut Carr at any time, creating $6.4 mil of room.
*Cut Carr after June 1, creating $9.1 mil of room.
*Extend Carr's deal to add years and spread out the cost.
*Leave it be therefore meaning no dead money is ever attached.
*And, most likely of all: Make a move only when Dallas needs to.
That's why the "strong-arm'' flexing and the "ultimatum' issuing is premature: The Cowboys are already $12 million under the cap, can easily create $12 mil more with the Tyron/Tyrone Triggers, and don't need to be cap-compliant anyway until the March 9 start of the NFL business year. There is no need to "strong-arm'' anybody yet — and maybe never at all.
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