If there's one thing to learn about the Dallas Cowboys acquiring hot-button corner Adam "Pacman" Jones Wednesday in a trade with the Tennessee Titans for draft picks, it's this:
Making a controversial deal, brining in a troubled player, is a lot easier to swallow when the owner is the general manager.
There aren't a lot of teams that would take a chance on a player like Jones like the Cowboys did. There is too much baggage. As good a corner as Jones is -- and he's one of the best when he's on the field -- he's one mistep away from another year-long suspension. Heck, he isn't even off his year-long suspension yet, with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell expected to act on lifting his later this summer.
But Dallas can make the deal because Jerry Jones is owner and general manager. He makes the football decisions. He pays the Bills. If it blows up, it blows up on him.
There is no general manager putting a neck on the line for this move. If it doesn't work for Jerry, so what? What's he going to do, fire himself as general manager? Not happening, as much as some Cowboys fans might want it to happen.
The Cowboys will give up a fourth-round pick for Jones, which is a steal if he's truly going to be a model citizen. With Jones, the Cowboys now have as good a starting duo as their is in the league. Jones will team with starter Terence Newman and Anthony Henry to give Dallas a nice threesome.
Jones can dominate a receiver in man coverage. The Titans coaches say he allowed seven completions while playing man coverage in 2006. And he played a lot of it. That's amazing.
Jerry Jones is moving to a new stadium. He's selling expensive seats and club seats and suites. It's a lot easier to ask for the big dollar with a Super Bowl title.
Pacman will give the Cowboys a better chance to make that a reality.
If he winds up making it rain at the local strip joint and finds himself in hot water again, Jerry Jones can get angry at his general manager.
Then he'll wink at the mirror and move on.
It sure must be good to be the king.
