This likely will be a heated 24 hours of negotiations between the Cowboys and Flozell Adam’s representative Jordan Woy, with free agency beginning at 11 p.m. (CST) on Thursday. Neither side has given up on the possibility of an 11th-hour – or would that be 10th hour since . . . oh never mind – deal being completed. Unless Woy’s reconnaissance work indicates the Cowboys are woefully low-balling his new client, I’d suspect Adams wouldn’t want to pull up roots after 10 years or go somewhere he must pay state income tax. But as we know, money is money, ad I’m not willing to believe Woy needs free agency to begin to discover what the rest of the league thinks the four-time Pro Bowl left tackle is worth. Negotiators love this kind of pressure.
Boy, you guys don’t miss a trick. A bunch of folks spotted the new Zach Thomas jersey for sale on the Pro Shop’s website with No. 54 on the back, his number for 12 years in Miami, but also Bobby Carpenter’s current Cowboys number. That immediately fueled speculation Carpenter was gone, but remember, that would be a $4.5 million cap hit. Well Wednesday, I see the number has changed to 55, and there is a qualifier there, reading, “Thomas jersey will be produced and ship within four days after number is determined. * #55 subject to change.” Thomas has stated he’s not hung up on the number anyway. Didn’t realize folks still want to be the first one on the block to have the newest toy.
Let this be a cautionary tale for failing to do your homework in free agency. Two years ago Washington traded a third- and fourth-round pick to San Francisco for wide receiver Brandon Lloyd. This was a sign-and-trade deal for the restricted free agent, and the Skins inked him to a six-year, $30 million deal which included a $10 million signing bonus. Now, after just two seasons the Redskins designated him to become a June 1 release, meaning he will count $1.8 million in 2008 and another $5.5 million against the cap in 2009. You see what I mean about so cavalierly signing guys you don’t know much about to huge deals?
A bunch of you guys keep asking about training camp this summer, and it’s not even March. Man. Well, shhhh, don’t tell anyone, but it’s beginning to look a lot like Oxnard, Calif., all over again. But as they say in the contract negotiation business, a deal is never a deal nor is it ever close until both parties put their signatures on a dotted line. Stay tuned.