PacMan Jones Negotiation

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3369580

Adam "Pacman" Jones is an NFL cornerback that has been in alot of trouble. Until recently, he was the property of the Tennessee Titans. He was also suspended from playing in the NFL due to his legal issues.

Recently, the Dallas Cowboys traded for Jones. This is an unprecedented move in that no player, under suspension, has been traded in the NFL.

The Cowboys obviously wanted Jones. But at what price? Jones may not be cleared to play by the NFL. Jones may jump back into his bad behavior. Many things can kill this investment by the Cowboys.

There are several key ingredients to this pie.
- Dallas gave up a 4th round draft pick in this year's NFL draft and a 6th round next year; not much of a price for a player that they are going this far to obtain.
- If Jones doesn't get cleared to play in this upcoming season, the Cowboys will get a 2009 4th round pick, or if Jones is reinstated but gets into trouble again, the Cowboys will get a 5th round pick.
- The Titans in this deal are getting advanced use of the 4th round pick. And they are getting something for nothing. They had pretty much written Jones off.

According to the Cowboys, Jones "fills a need and he could be had for less than his talent is worth." So, the Cowboys see this as a relatively low-cost investmetn with a considerable upside.

This is a negotiation game that has many more parts that are included here. There is Jone's contract in which he had to make many concessions, including returning parts of a bonus, and contributing money to youth organizations. The players union, is watching for precedence here. If a player in a weak position can be muscled into making these concessions, does this open the door for better bargaining by owners in the future?

It will be interesting to see if Jerry Jones gets an ROI on Pacman Jones.