Eddie George a Cowboy

[vicfurth]

I think this could be a good deal for Dallas. They get a good (not great) back, a mentor for Julius Jones, and if he stinks he's gone after this year.

Grade: B+

DISCUSS!!!

[Magus]

nice move by the cowboys.

[SportsFan2004]

I agree because the Dallas Cowboys sure needed a good football player in Eddie George. I will sure miss Eddie as a Titan. He did great.

[NJTank]

I dont know if this is such a great signing. I dont know how much George has left and if he gets hurt or is a step slow that wont help Dallas at all.

[Saintsfan]

I think its a pretty smart move really- I think sometimes you sign a veteran not only to play but also for the young guys to use as an example- and what finer example could you get!

[pking34@comcast.net]

Eddie George leaves Nashville with the respect and affection of all who watched him play (which, as a Titans season ticket holder, includes me). We wish him well in Dallas, and will have many fond memories of Eddie's 8 years in a Titan uniform. He was, and is, a leader and warrior. Dallas has a player who will help them even if he doesn't post huge numbers, and they have him at a compensation level appropriate to his abilities at this stage of Eddie's career.

That having been said, in terms of productivity, we may be better off now than we were with Eddie as a Titan. Eddie's career timeline is eerily similar to the career timeline of the other great power runner in our franchises' history, Earl Campbell. In the first 5 years of their careers, both Earl and Eddie were dominant, top 5 NFL running backs who were arguably overused. The constant hits took a toll on both, and after 5 years, both were in a significant decline phase where they were no better than average starting NFL running backs for the remainder of their career. The NFL, in the salary cap era, is a place where a team cannot afford to significantly overpay a player, and Eddie was working on a long-term contract that was put in place when he was a top-5 running back, which, candidly, he no longer is. The Titans wanted to keep Eddie; he was offered a deal to stay that was very fair in light of his last 3 years, with incentives that would make him incredibly highly paid if Eddie miraculously rebounded to his pre-2001 levels. Eddie declined, and signed with Dallas for a contract no better than the Titans' contract offer.

The future? The Titans, in Chris Brown, have a speedy big back who is capable of being a 1200-1600 yard rusher if he stays healthy and gets the requisite touches. We have also signed Antowain Smith, who has 2 Super Bowl rings, and over the last 3 years has been as good a runner as Eddie George, if not a little better (and who signed for considerably less money than our last offer to Eddie). The Titans, with co-MVP Steve McNair and talented receivers, have become a passing-based team, but our ground game could be BETTER in 2004 than in 2001-3.