A plan to intercept trouble

Jones being mentored by Sanders in Dallas

Following his partial reinstatement to the NFL last week, Cowboys cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones - whose professional résumé includes more arrests (6) than interceptions (4) - said he's finally learned an important lesson.

After his turbulent first two seasons in Tennessee and sitting out last year because of a suspension, Jones pointed out the obvious: He must make better choices.

The Cowboys, who are gambling on Jones as a key piece of their championship plan, are going to great lengths to ensure he doesn't experience memory loss. The team will assign a security detail to him, 24/7. There is also the hope that if Jones spends more time around people such as former Cowboy Deion Sanders, he'll make better decisions.

Last week in Dallas, Jones took his initial steps back, practicing with the Cowboys for the first time since commissioner Roger Goodell announced his semi-reinstatement (a decision on whether he will be fully reinstated will come by Sept. 1).

Jones met with reporters, and while he acknowledged that he's made bad decisions, he said he wasn't interested in talking about them, only in looking toward the future. Keeping a close watch on the proceedings was Sanders, who has spent the last month opening the doors of his Dallas-area home to the talented but troubled star.

"I have a love for this kid that is insatiable," Sanders said. "It's something that when I look at him, I don't want to call it my son, but I see something in him that I just want to love him through and through."

Sanders suggested that it's time to stop calling Jones "Pacman" and simply refer to him as Adam, which would signify a fresh start. Sanders has also served as a trainer of sorts, introducing Jones to a sandpit in his backyard and a strength and conditioning drill called "The Snake."

The two have worked out in the searing heat, and Sanders talked about how he's allowed Jones to watch how he lives his life, from daily interactions with his children, to going fishing with the kids and tying lures on the end of their rods.

The 24-year-old Jones has apparently taken to the fatherly presence of Sanders, now 40. He's chosen to wear Sanders's old No. 21 in hopes of becoming the "Prime Time" of the current era.

Jones's presence at Cowboys practice created the type of buzz that owner Jerry Jones seems to like. He was immediately inserted into the team's nickel defense and created some instant headlines by intercepting two passes over his first two days, which observers said would have been returned for touchdowns in a game.

ESPN deemed the picks worthy of a place on its bottom-screen scroll, no matter that they came in drills with no pads or contact, and with third-string quarterback Richard Bartel throwing the ball.

It's that type of attention, Sanders has told Jones, that could make him a star.

"He's a big play waiting to happen," Sanders said, noting Jones's quickness and instincts. "The thing he doesn't like is that he's not known for the plays. He wants to be known for the plays he's made on the field, and he's made a tremendous amount of plays in a short period of time. I tell him that if he made those same plays in a Cowboy uniform, that's going to [boost] him up. He's already made plays out here in two days."

On the flip side, of course, is that the fall becomes that much harder if Jones slips up with the Cowboys.

The acquisition of Jones - and awarding him a nonguaranteed, four-year, $13 million contract - was a significant part of a busy offseason in Dallas. The Cowboys also awarded contract extensions to receiver Terrell Owens, cornerback Terence Newman, and running back Marion Barber, while adding more playmaking talent in Arkansas running back Felix Jones and South Florida cornerback Mike Jenkins, both selected in the first round of the draft.

In turn, expectations have heightened for a club that was knocked out of the NFC playoffs at home, by the Giants in the divisional round. A similar upset this year could cost second-year coach Wade Phillips his job.

Sanders is doing his part to help the cause, mostly because he believes Jones deserves another chance.

"Moving somebody to the right atmosphere negates a large part of the risk," he said. "I think this is the place for him to be."

Signing bonuses for Smith

Rick Smith, who at 38 is the youngest general manager in the NFL, had two thoughts come to mind after the Houston Texans last week extended his contract through the 2012 season.

First and foremost, it was nice to be recognized for helping resurrect the Texans, because the NFL is ultimately a performance-based business. At the same time, as one of only a handful of African-Americans leading a personnel department in the NFL, he is hopeful that his situation can open doors.

"Historically, we're standing on men's shoulders who have worked so hard before us so we have an opportunity like this," said Smith, whose team went a franchise-best 8-8 last season.

"I understand the significance of it, and also understand that it's not just about opportunity, but also doing a good enough job once that opportunity comes. I hope something like this shows that someone doesn't have to look a certain way, or look a certain age, to give them an opportunity to make something happen."

Smith, entering his third season as GM, credited longtime scout John Wooten, whose work with the Fritz Pollard Alliance has created awareness and opportunities for minorities, for being a trailblazer. Smith joins Rod Graves (Cardinals), James Harris (Jaguars), Ozzie Newsome (Ravens), and Jerry Reese (Giants) as the African-Americans currently leading NFL personnel departments.

Some of Smith's key decisions include the selection of promising defensive lineman Amobi Okoye in the first round of the 2007 draft, and the signing of under-the-radar free agent receiver Andre' Davis, who became a key contributor last season.

Last month, Smith was on a panel with Graves, Harris, Newsome, and Reese at the NFL General Managers' Diversity Forum.

"I think the NFL, as a league, is out front on the diversity issue and promoting advancement, and making sure people have opportunities," said Smith. "Once those opportunities come, it's up to the individuals to take advantage of them."

Whipple will keep an Eagle
eye on Philadelphia offense

Former University of Massachusetts coach Mark Whipple, who as Steelers quarterback coach was instrumental in the development of Ben Roethlisberger, is back in the NFL after a one-year hiatus.

He's working as an offensive assistant for the Eagles in a "walk-around" role that focuses on the entire offense. His responsibilities could change day to day, from assessing specific players, to the opponent's personnel, to X's and O's such as studying blitz packages.

Whipple, who will work under offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, is glad to be back in the NFL.

"It's even better than I thought, just great to get back to coaching," he said. "To step back, it was nice for me, but I think it also helped me realize how important coaching is to me, and how fortunate I am to be in this position in this chosen field."

The 50-year-old Whipple spent much of last year enjoying time with his family - he attended University of Pittsburgh games, as his son Spencer was a freshman on the squad - while also visiting college campuses in a consultant-type role, and participating in coaching clinics.

He made contact with Eagles coach Andy Reid in late January, as Reid was anticipating a potential staff change. The two had no prior connections, although in 2001 Whipple had interviewed with Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, a close confidant of Reid's, and that might have contributed to Reid's interest. It probably didn't hurt that former Steelers coach Bill Cowher spoke highly of Whipple.

As it turned out, the job that Reid anticipated coming open did not. Still, he asked Whipple if he wanted to come aboard anyway, and unlike Whipple's leap from UMass to the Steelers in 2004, this transition has been rather seamless.

"It's been easier, probably because of having been in the NFL for those three years," said Whipple.

While it's been five years since he departed UMass, Whipple's ties to the school remain strong. In fact, they just got stronger. Spencer is transferring to UMass.

Etc.

Practice before law school
Little-known fact about Ian Greengross, the agent who negotiated running back Darren McFadden's six-year, $60 million contract with the Raiders that was finalized Friday: He attended Boston University from 1988-92 and was a scout-team goalie for the Terriers' varsity hockey team during game-day practices. "[Coaches] Ben Smith and Jack Parker were nice enough to keep me around," recalled Greengross, a Chicago native whose father hails from Boston. "I had tried out for the JV team as a freshman, and if there were cuts, I probably would have been one of them within the first minute of practice. But I think they saw how hard I worked, so when the JV team was cut my sophomore year, they found a place for me to still be around the team." Greengross has fond recollections of BU's run to the national championship game his junior year (a thrilling three-overtime loss vs. Northern Michigan in 1991), as well as how his studies in the School of Management helped him understand the many hats he must wear as a sports agent. He went on to law school after BU.

They need time to catch on
Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren has altered his philosophy with young receivers. Last season, with veterans such as Deion Branch, D.J. Hackett, Nate Burleson, and Bobby Engram, the Seahawks figured they had the luxury of using their younger receivers at each receiver spot. But with Hackett now with the Panthers, Branch recovering from a torn ACL, and Engram holding out of camp, that luxury is gone. Holmgren has decided that the team's young receivers must be "good right away," so he's locking them into one spot.

He's not a player coach
Broncos coach Mike Shanahan might be one of the NFL's more innovative offensive minds, but his personnel decisions continue to be wildly up and down. The latest example came when the team cut running back Travis Henry, just one year after handing him a five-year, $22 million contract with a $6 million signing bonus. Shanahan's explanation was that Henry is "too inconsistent as a person." Of course, he didn't mention that he signed off on bringing Henry aboard in the first place.

Looking for a better reception
A top target last offseason when he signed a six-year, $30 million contract, Drew Bennett became a forgotten on-field target during the Rams' disappointing 3-13 season. As the No. 3 option behind Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce, he totaled just 33 receptions in 14 games and spent more time on the sideline than he envisioned. Injuries were part of the mix, but even when Bennett was on the field, the production paled compared with what he had accomplished in Tennessee, most notably an 80-catch season in 2004. But now that Bruce has moved on to the 49ers, Bennett has been elevated to full-time starter, and he said last week that he's motivated to prove he's worth the Rams' hefty investment.

Packing a wallop
Football players must remain in tip-top condition each offseason, which seemed to serve quick-thinking Packers running back Noah Herron well last week. Herron foiled a robbery attempt at his home by unscrewing a piece of his bed post and striking an intruder in the head. The blow put the intruder in the hospital, a second intruder was arrested, and Herron was not hurt.

Extra points
It's early yet, but some Packers fans are growing impatient with 2007 first-round pick Justin Harrell. The defensive lineman from Tennessee was limited to seven games as a rookie, with injuries factoring in, and now he's missed offseason practices after having minor surgery to repair a disk in his back. Harrell is expected to return by training camp . . . Anthony Henry, projected as a starter at cornerback for the Cowboys opposite Terence Newman, said he's willing to move to safety should Pacman Jones step into the lineup . . . The Redskins' medical staff does not believe cornerback Carlos Rogers, who is recovering from a torn ACL and MCL sustained against the Patriots last Oct. 28, will be ready by the season opener . . . The Jets continue to absorb verbal blows from tight end Chris Baker, who ripped the team Thursday and Friday as he feels it reneged on a promise to renegotiate his contract . . . Boston College product Josh Beekman, set to enter his second season in Chicago, has been lining up as the second-team center in recent practices.

Did you know?
Five NFL teams had two first-round selections in April's draft, the highest total since the common draft began in 1967.

Mike Reiss can be reached at mreiss@globe.com; material from personal interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report.