Hard for Jones to see Emmitt with a different jersey
By STEPHEN HAWKINS, AP Sports Writer
April 2, 2003
DALLAS (AP) -- Jerry Jones found it difficult to watch Emmitt Smith holding up a No. 22 Arizona Cardinals jersey.
``Personally, it was hard to see Emmitt in red,'' the Dallas Cowboys owner said Wednesday. ``When he was making his announcement, it brought a little lump to my throat.''
Jones' comments came less than a week after Smith signed a two-year contract with the Cardinals. The NFL career rushing leader had been released by the Cowboys on Feb. 27 after 13 seasons and three Super Bowl championships with the team.
``He'll always be a Cowboy and always have a star on his helmet in my mind,'' Jones said. ``Again, he and I hope all of the fans understand that we needed to go in another direction.''
The Cowboys are coming off three straight 5-11 seasons and Smith turns 34 next month. He was due a base salary of $7 million next season, with a salary-cap figure of $9.8 million. He will still count $4.9 million against the Cowboys cap even while he's running for the Cardinals next fall.
``We wish him the best, we don't want it to happen when he's playing the Dallas Cowboys, but we do personally wish him the best,'' Jones said. ``He wants to get more yards, it's the competitor in him. He's healthy, he's got a chance to play quite a bit more football and that will be good.''
Instead of ending his career in Dallas, Smith will add to his NFL-record totals of 17,162 yards; 4,052 carries; and 153 rushing touchdowns with Arizona.
And the Cowboys are looking for his replacement. Troy Hambrick was Smith's primary backup last season, and the team also has Michael Wiley and second-year backs Ennis Haywood and Woody Dantzler.
``It remains to be seen, nobody's job is given to them. We have several running backs,'' said Stephen Jones, Jerry's son and the team's vice president and director of player personnel. ``And we'll continue to keep our eyes open, whether it be through the draft or free agency. If the right guy comes available, then we'd certainly be ready to make a move on that.''
Jerry Jones said that he doesn't feel the running back situation has to be addressed high in the NFL draft that begins April 26. But he will act if the right player is available.
``We will address running back either in the draft or in the ensuing free agency,'' Jones said. ``We feel good about our running backs as we have them right now, and we will continue to see how they progress.''
Updated at Wed, Apr 2 2003, 6:19pm ET
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-cowboys-noemmitt&prov=ap&type=lgns
By STEPHEN HAWKINS, AP Sports Writer
April 2, 2003
DALLAS (AP) -- Jerry Jones found it difficult to watch Emmitt Smith holding up a No. 22 Arizona Cardinals jersey.
``Personally, it was hard to see Emmitt in red,'' the Dallas Cowboys owner said Wednesday. ``When he was making his announcement, it brought a little lump to my throat.''
Jones' comments came less than a week after Smith signed a two-year contract with the Cardinals. The NFL career rushing leader had been released by the Cowboys on Feb. 27 after 13 seasons and three Super Bowl championships with the team.
``He'll always be a Cowboy and always have a star on his helmet in my mind,'' Jones said. ``Again, he and I hope all of the fans understand that we needed to go in another direction.''
The Cowboys are coming off three straight 5-11 seasons and Smith turns 34 next month. He was due a base salary of $7 million next season, with a salary-cap figure of $9.8 million. He will still count $4.9 million against the Cowboys cap even while he's running for the Cardinals next fall.
``We wish him the best, we don't want it to happen when he's playing the Dallas Cowboys, but we do personally wish him the best,'' Jones said. ``He wants to get more yards, it's the competitor in him. He's healthy, he's got a chance to play quite a bit more football and that will be good.''
Instead of ending his career in Dallas, Smith will add to his NFL-record totals of 17,162 yards; 4,052 carries; and 153 rushing touchdowns with Arizona.
And the Cowboys are looking for his replacement. Troy Hambrick was Smith's primary backup last season, and the team also has Michael Wiley and second-year backs Ennis Haywood and Woody Dantzler.
``It remains to be seen, nobody's job is given to them. We have several running backs,'' said Stephen Jones, Jerry's son and the team's vice president and director of player personnel. ``And we'll continue to keep our eyes open, whether it be through the draft or free agency. If the right guy comes available, then we'd certainly be ready to make a move on that.''
Jerry Jones said that he doesn't feel the running back situation has to be addressed high in the NFL draft that begins April 26. But he will act if the right player is available.
``We will address running back either in the draft or in the ensuing free agency,'' Jones said. ``We feel good about our running backs as we have them right now, and we will continue to see how they progress.''
Updated at Wed, Apr 2 2003, 6:19pm ET
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-cowboys-noemmitt&prov=ap&type=lgns
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