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Bill Parcells, Jerry Jones and several other high-ranking members of the Dallas Cowboys made it clear how much they wanted Eddie George.
As soon as the running back became a free agent Wednesday, team officials called George and his agent early and often. While George was flattered, he was still coming to grips with the end of his eight-year relationship with the Tennessee Titans.
So before jumping to a new team, he made some calls of his own, checking out the Cowboys and Parcells with prospective teammates Keyshawn Johnson, Terry Glenn and Marcellus Wiley.
Liking what he heard, George arrived at team headquarters Friday morning. Within hours of meeting Jones in front of a display of the team's five Super Bowl trophies, George was holding up his new No. 27 jersey and talking about hopes of bringing a sixth championship.
"I didn't want to mess around with flying here and flying there. I wanted to find the right fit and this was it," George said. "It felt good to be wanted."
Negotiations went quickly because George got exactly what he wanted: A one-year contract that immediately paid him $1.5 million, which was what the Titans were offering for this entire season. With incentives, he could make more than the $4.25 million he would have made under his previous contract with Tennessee.
George knows he'll be sharing time with second-round pick Julius Jones and veteran Richie Anderson. While he admits that "it's not ideal," he was swayed by the chance to play for Parcells, on a team coming off a 10-6 season and playoff appearance and in an offense that uses a fullback.
"All I really wanted to do was to get a great opportunity to play and show that I can continue to be a great running back in this league," George said. "I'm going to try to put myself in position to where I can carry the load."
George relishes the challenge of having to earn the bulk of this year's money -- and next year's, because how he does this fall will set his market value. Agent Lamont Smith said George didn't even want an option for next season and that the Cowboys didn't push for one, either.
Still, standing in the locker room that Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett used to call home, George added that he would want to finish his career with the Cowboys.
"I'm looking to get a good feel for what's in store here," he said.
George had been under contract with Tennessee through 2006, but the Titans wanted to restructure the last three years. He rejected their final offer Monday and asked to be released.
Philadelphia, Oakland and the New York Giants also were interested in signing him. Dallas simply worked the phones the hardest. Smith said the Cowboys' aggressiveness indicated they truly wanted to make George a key part of their offense, "not just grab you as an insurance policy."
That was an issue because George is no longer the star he once was.
He's averaged 3.2 yards a carry the last three years after going for 3.9 his first five. A drop-off isn't a surprise considering he's had 21.4 carries a game and never missed a start in his career, despite enduring plenty of injuries. He had foot surgery three years ago and earlier this summer had arthroscopic surgeries on his right knee and left ankle.
George's numbers last season weren't much better than Dallas' leading rusher, Troy Hambrick, who has since been released. Yet the Cowboys are confident Parcells can bring out the best in George. Jones noted that Ottis Anderson had a 1,000-yard season for Parcells when he was 32, then won the Super Bowl MVP a year later. George turns 31 in September.
"We know that he has a lot of gas left in his tank," Jones said. "He's a great fit for us. He will complement an offense that will be about power running."
Parcells, who did not attend the news conference, didn't promise George anything.
"He says I'm going to have to come in here and compete, and I understand that," George said.
While George spoke kindly about the Titans on Friday, his agent indicated a bit of a grudge for not having settled things in March, which would've given George more time to pick a new team. Tennessee did keep him long enough to pay a $1 million roster bonus.
He'll get a chance to prove something to the Titans at home on Aug. 30 in Dallas' second-to-last preseason game. ABC is broadcasting the game and will certainly play up the George angle.
He'll be easy to identify. The Cowboys gave him the same jersey number he's had his entire NFL career and during his Heisman Trophy-winning career at Ohio State. It had belonged to rookie cornerback Bruce Thornton, who happens to be another of Smith's clients.
"Eddie will be writing him a check," Smith said, laughing.
Source: AP