While I know this is probably already known by everyone, a lot happened today in the NFC East. Washington changedpunters today, but the Durrant Brooks story may not be over. We also waived one of our draft picks, with Hamilton hitting the street, and shut down Reed Doughty for the season, sending him to the IR. That freed up space to sign Shaun Alexander to back up Clinton Portis after Ladell Betts injury this week. And no, I’m not sold on Alexander; he may be perfectly fine as a part time back, but I would have preferred Marcus Mason, who has a much better upside; it would be nice to develop a young RB for the inevitable day when Portis and Betts start slowing down (andas a reminder, both Portis and Bettscame out of the same round of the same draft; just saying). We also signed a safety, taking Doughty’s spot on the roster. Both signed veteran minimum, one year contracts.
Bigger news came out of the league offices, who have shut down Pacman “I’m an idiot” Jones, for at least four games; he will not be back until at least after the Redskins and Cowboys play, and he may never be reinstated. However, with a roster spot available, and a bit of panic setting in in Dallas, the Cowboys seem to have pulled an old school Vinny Cerrato and overpaid for another team’s fading star, trading a first, third, and sixthround pick for Detroit’s Roy Williams and a seventh rounder. Coupled with the Cowboys having paid a fourth for Jones, the Cowboys now have a Redskins-like draft of a 2nd, 5th, and two 7ths next year; if they don’t win this year, things will be looking bleak in a few years in the Cowboys cupboard. Oh, and did I mention Romo has a broken pinkie, andwill be out a month? Brad Johnson is probably doing a Texas Two-step, though, over the new WR and his starting position. Former Redskin CB Martin Mayhew was the man who took Jerry Jones draft picks for Detroit; no word on whether Jerry will have to give up his lunch money, too.
The Giants were also rumored to be about to pull the trigger on a couple deals… but nothing happened. In particular, rumors have been swirling that the Giants are trying to lure Kansas City’s star TE Gonzalez to the Big Apple, for draft picks and Sinorice Moss. Nothing came of it, and with the trade deadline now past, it’s moot, but it does show that the Giants may not have their head quite focused after the shellacking they received Monday night.
I heard speculation about the Eagles making a move, too, as long as a week ago… but the Eagles really don’t have anything compelling to trade other than picks, and with the loss of Westbrook, they may have felt it didn’t matter, anyway. Regardless, a bid day in the NFC East, as the former League MVP joins the Redskins, and the Cowboys add an actual second good WR.
I saw on another web site that Jerry Jones may have been quite manipulative in his non-suspension of P. Jones. Basically, according to Pacman’s contract, if the league suspended Pacman (and the team did NOT), then the Cowboys would get back the draft pick they traded to the Titans. So the Cowboys had more to lose by suspending Pacman than they would have by waiting for Goodell to do it.
A conspiracy theorist would point out that Pacman happened to do a suspension-worthy act right before the trade deadline, in time for the Cowboys to get back a draft pick they could then use for a wide receiver.
Thoughts? Is this a debunkable myth?
Ariel, I’d put it down to rumor. My understanding was that the Titans owed the Cowboys their 4th rounder in 2009 if Jones wasn’t reinstated for the 2008-2009 season; he WAS reinstated, and has now been suspended for something different, so if Jones thinks that, the Titans and Cowboys are headed for arbitration, and the Cowboys are going to lose. However, the Cowboys can let Jones go with NO cost associated with the contract at any time, as there was no signing bonus, and the only significant incentives are roster bonuses; he doesn’t get them if he’s not on the team.