FanHouse PacmanJones

There ain't no party like a Winnipeg Blue Bombers party, because the Blue Bombers keep signing players who paved their way out of the NFL because they found more thrills off the field than on it.

One day after news of their plans to sign Pacman Jones became public knowledge, the Toronto Globe and Mail is reporting that Lions washout and noted marijuana enthusiast Charles Rogers will be heading to Manitoba to continue his football dream. Both players are represented by Jason Fletcher, who is fast becoming the biggest conduit for Americans traveling to Canada since Robert McNamara. (UPDATE, Sept. 2: The Blue Bombers released a statement saying that they would not sign Jones. "We have completed our assessment and due diligence and at this time we will not be pursuing the services of Adam Jones," coach Mike Kelly said.)

When Dallas opens the preseason in Oakland on Thursday night, it'll do so as a team looking to prove itself.

The Cowboys are not thought of among the NFC's elite teams. These Cowboys believe they are underdogs -- which may be a good thing, because when they're the favorites, they struggle to handle it.

"They keep talking about those teams [Giants, Eagles and Cardinals]," linebacker DeMarcus Ware said of the NFC's expected powers. "That allows us to become the underdog -- I know that's not going to happen, but I hope it does."

In his seven-year NFL career, Travis Henry rushed for more than 1,350 yards three times. After stints in Buffalo and Tennessee, his last carry came with the Broncos in 2007.

Then-coach Mike Shanahan explained that Henry was released less than a year after the Broncos signed him because the running back lacked commitment. Maybe at his day job, but that certainly wasn't the case in all aspects of Henry's life; in March we learned that he had 11 kids by 10 women, so he's clearly committed to something.

As it turns out, his astounding ability to procreate is the least of his worries, even though there was a time, after signing a five-year, $25 million deal, when he couldn't afford to make his child support payments (although, oddly, it didn't prevent him from dropping $250K on jewelry).

When talking about front-office futility, Matt Millen sets the pace. Mercifully for Lions fans, he's been relieved of his duties as the team's president and general manager, but his legacy lives on. His infatuation with using high-round draft picks on wide receivers might have been his biggest weakness, although that's certainly up for debate.

Charles Rogers and Mike Williams are on the list of first-round wide receiver busts, but a name that's often overlooked -- and one that we can't blame on Millen -- is Peter Warrick, who the Bengals selected with the fourth-overall pick in 2001.

Save the actual act of filling out the pink slip, Greg Ellis' 11-year career with the Cowboys is done. He was hailed as a team leader -- something the organization lacked in recent years -- and his DallasCowboys.com bio confirms as much:

"... Ellis has been a pillar of consistency and production for the Cowboys in his 10 seasons as an NFL player. Whether it be overcoming the adversity of a serious injury or making a position switch in the later stages of his career, Ellis has always responded."

But as you might have heard, the NFL is a business, and players -- even the good ones -- are sent on their way as soon as a coach, scout or owner determines they're no longer useful. And with 2007 first-round pick Anthony Spencer ready to assume Ellis' job, it was a relatively easy decision, at least from a business standpoint.

In February, ESPN mercifully pulled the plug on Emmitt Smith's television career. I think they did it as much for him as for us. Either way, thanks, World Wide Leader. But the NFL rushing leader still has opinions, and when asked, he'll happily share them. Especially if it involves the Cowboys, a team Smith helped win three Super Bowls in the 1990s.

At a Tuesday news conference in Arlington, Texas, Smith talked about the direction of the 2009 club -- one that managed to miss the playoffs last season, and, the year before, lost in the divisional round after a 13-3 record -- and he didn't sound impressed. A lot of that, it seems, has to do with Jerry Jones' decision to cut Terrell Owens.

Cornerback Pacman Jones still wants to play in the NFL.

Whether or not somebody wants him remains to be seen. The Jets have expressed interest, according to someone close to Jones, but are waiting things out.

Jones' agent Worrick Robinson said he hopes to get his client signed by training camp and wouldn't discuss which teams are interested.

When asked if the Cowboys, Jones' last employer, have requested a return engagement, Robinson said no.

Despite what MIchael Vick told a judge in bankruptcy court last week, there's no way he plays another "10 to 12 years" in the NFL. In fact, there's a chance he never plays again if commissioner Roger Goodell chooses not to reinstate him.

That decision won't come till summer, but if Vick, who is nearing the end of a 23-month prison sentence in connection with dog-fighting, is allowed to return to the league, he'll almost certainly have suitors. And the Oakland Tribune's Jerry McDonald thinks that, under the right circumstances, he could be a good fit for the Raiders.

Things are looking up for former Jaguars first-round draft picks. First, a judge dismisses DWI and marijuana possession charges against Reggie Williams, and now Matt Jones is a free man, serving just seven days of an eight-day jail sentence. (And, yes, I realize that while Williams is free to go about his business without further legal entanglements, he's currently unemployed. Hey, it could be worse.)

Jones was arrested and canned last week for violating a plea agreement on a cocaine possession charge stemming from last summer. The crime that landed him in the clink: drinking beer. Out of context, jailing somebody for chugging a few pops while playing golf is a ludicrous notion, but two things worth mentioning: first, Jones was already on probation on drug charges, and second, if this had been, say, Pacman Jones, the media (FanHouse included) would beat us about the head with the news for the foreseeable future.

"Adam" Pacman Jones knows something about making the wrong decision. His entire professional life has been a series of missteps, the last of which -- a hotel bathroom cat fight with a Cowboys-appointed body guard last fall -- landed him in his current predicament: unemployed.

Jones appears out of NFL options despite being 25 years old and in his football prime. In fact, he's been relegated to appearing on Pros vs. Joes, a show usually reserved for retired professional athletes who had distinguished careers and are now looking for something to get them out of the house. (In the latest episode, Jones joined Alonzo Mourning, Steve McNair, Robert Horry and Priest Holmes as the other "pros.")