Pete_Prisco

Linebacker Zach Thomas signed a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys Saturday, a deal that could pay him $3 million.

Thomas, who is from Texas, will try to beat out Akin Adoyele for an inside linebacker spot in the Cowboys' 3-4 scheme. The Cowboys would like a more active linebacker than Ayodele, who doesn't run all that well. So what do they do? Sign a 34-year-old linebacker to take his place?

Thomas was a heck of a player in his day, and the price wasn't too prohibitive, but there are plenty of young, active linebacker here in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine who might have been a better option.

At least the Cowboys did something right and didn't give him a long-term deal.The Cowboys beat out the Saints and Patriots for a chance to sign Thomas.

There have been a lot of confident players come through the combine over the years, but Oregon running back Jonathan Stewart may believe in his own abilities as much as any of them.

When asked to compare his style to some other runners, Stewart let it fly.

“I would describe it as pretty rare," Stewart said. " You don’t really see a player my size at this position being able to do the things I can do. I’m explosive. I havegood lateral movement as well. I have great speed as well. Put those things together and it can be something great.”

At 5-10, 235 pounds, Stewart is a strong runner who also has breakaway speed. He reminds me of Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor.

If he can come close to Taylor's career, Stewart's combine confidence will prove true.

During his session with the media Friday at the NFL scouting combine, Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan was asked about possibly being drafted by the Atlanta Falcons with the third overall pick. Somebody asked him if he thought he might help the city get over the Mike Vick-Bob Petrino fiasco.

After a lengthy, thought-out answer, I just couldn't resist.

"Do you own any pit bulls?" I asked him. Ryan laughed., but he didn't answer.

As he walked from the podium, I asked if he liked my question. He laughed again.

"Yeah, but I don't own any dogs," he said.

Hear that, Atlanta. No chance of his career going to the dogs.

The league's competition committee met in Indianapolis this week at the site of the league's scouting combine and came to this conclusion:

The league's handling of the New England Patriots' "Spygate" was proper and thorough.

Committee co-chair Rich McKay, president of the Atlanta Falcons, said the issue is "yesterday's news." The committee was briefed on the specifics of why and how the league decided to destroy the "Spygate" tapes. The league fined Patriots coach Bill Belichick $500,000 and took away a first-round pick from the team after it was determined they illegally videotaped the New York Jets' defenisve signals.

"There was punishment given out and that was the end of it," McKay said.

But with Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter pushing forward to find out more about why the league destroyed the tapes and if there are more instances of spying, it really isn't over. But the committee is fine with the explaination it received from the league.

T"hat process was fair, detailed, efficient," Colts president Bill Polian said. " What was on the tapes was explained to us and what was in the notes was explained to us. The reason that that information was done away with was explained to us.From my perspective that was a thorough, fair, efficient process with lots of integrity."

If it's found out the Patriots taped the St. Louis Rams' walk-through before the Super Bowl XXXV, as one Boston newspaper reported they did, then there could be more consequences. But as it is now, it appears most in the league, including the competition committee, are ready for "Spygate" to go away.