"Say hallo to our new running back"
Posted on 07/23/2004 10:28:10 AM PDT by tdadams
It's official, former Tennessee Titan RB Eddie George is now a Dallas Cowboy. George, who has rushed for over 10,000 yards in his 8-year NFL career, comes to Dallas to provide depth at a position that sorely needs it. One team's loss is another team's gain.
Eddie George, the second leading rusher in the National Football League since 1996, has signed what amounts to a one-year contract with the Dallas Cowboys just days after leaving the Tennessee Titans organization.
The deal is reported to be worth $2.2 million. The deal is also structured so that he could earn an additional incentives, including $2 million if he equals last year's production.
George will receive a signing bonus of $1.54 million and have a base salary of $660,000.
The former Ohio State star was scheduled to earn $4 million this season in Tennessee, but the Titans offered him only $1.5 million.
Insulted at the offer from a team that he helped carry throughout his 8-year career, George elected to go elsewhere.
As it turns out, "elsewhere" is Dallas.
George, who is considered by most to be one of the most physical inside runners in the league, has not averaged more than 3.4 yards per carry the last three years.
That 3.4 number was one of the primary reasons the Titans weren't interested in offering George the kind of money he was looking for.
As a former Heisman Trophy winner in 1995, George has earned four trips to the Pro Bowl, but none since 2000.
While he's dependable to pick up first downs in short yardage situations, or touchdowns near the goal line, the Titans offense was unable to consistently depend on George to break his runs into the open field on first and second down.
George said Wednesday that he was impressed with what Bill Parcells and several of his former running backs near the end of their career- especially Ottis Anderson.
"What he was able to do with Ottis Anderson's career – he won two Super Bowls with him – is pretty intriguing," George said Wednesday evening.
The press conference announcing George's signing will be held at Valley Ranch at 12:00.
Does he think this deal with the Cowboys a good alternative?
He got $700,000 more from the Cowboys and could make another $2 million in incentives.
Yes, it's a better deal.
No , it's about respect man. De man was dissin him de insultin offer.
How nice; he still gets to face Ray Lewis this year. Those two bring out the best in each other.
What did Eddie do, commit a major felony? {;^)
As a cowboys fan I wish he were staying in Tennessee.
HA!
Perfect!
It's Official: Eddie George a Cowboy
I'd like to suggest that Eddie IS.....
And always will BE..........
A BUCKEYE!!!!!!!!!
O - H .............
I - O !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, lets see. He will get $2.2 million from the Cowboys this year and can make $4.2 million if he matches last years production.
What do you think?
Well he got a slightly better deal but he also was told he would be able to compete for the starting position, evidently Tennessee wasn't willing to make that concession.
Plus George said he just believed Bill Parcells would give him a better chance to start and contribute.
Why? I am a lifelong Cowboys fan and I am happy with the news. Bill is gonna have an awesome offense this year.
Why? I am a lifelong Cowboys fan and I am happy with the news. Bill is gonna have an awesome offense this year.
Big deal. The Cowboys will never win another Super Bowl as long as that rich red-neck from Arkansas has anything to do with the organization. He is becoming another Bud Adams and he wonders why the City of Dallas will not build a stadium for him.
Go Houston Texans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Let's just not mention that Emmit Smith guy.
LOL! Now THAT's good!
The most interesting game will be on August 30 when the Titans play the Cowboys on Monday Night Football.
Go Houston Texans - and take the Astros with you
"Eddie rejected an offer from Tennessee to stay with the team for $1.5 million annual salary plus performance bonuses. "
"Does he think this deal with the Cowboys a good alternative?"
I suspect Mr George thinks his chances at winning a Super Bowl before his career is over is better in Dallas, than it was in Tennessee.
If thats the case, I think he's right.
I may be wrong about this, but I think Anderson was only on one Super Bowl team.
I'd also point out that Anderson's contribution to that Super Bowl was a bit of an anomaly. He had already been phased out of the Giants' offense in 1990 -- replaced by a young rookie named Rodney Hampton who later became the team's all-time leading rusher. But Hampton was injured in the first playoff game, and a fresh, rejuvenated Ottis Anderson came off the bench to carry the load the rest of the way.
Eddie George is definitely an improvement over Troy Hambrick. We'll see how Julius Jones pans out, but there's little doubt the Cowboy running back situation is going to be much better than what it was last year.
"Say hello to my little frien'"
"When yooo fight wi' me, you fight wi' the best."
Its funny thinking of him in pro football.
That's a pre-season game. George probably won't play 4 snaps. Even if he does, no one's gunning at top speed until the season opens.
Only telling the truth to you Cowboy/Jerry Jones Kool-Aid drinkers.
THE COWBOYS WILL NEVER WIN ANOTHER SUPER BOWL AS LONG AS JERRY JONES' EGO OWNS THE TEAM.
The love fest between him and Parcells will end this season and the divorce will make the Johnson break up look like minor.
Go Texans!
Only telling the truth to you Cowboy/Jerry Jones Kool-Aid drinkers.
THE COWBOYS WILL NEVER WIN ANOTHER SUPER BOWL AS LONG AS JERRY JONES' EGO OWNS THE TEAM.
The love fest between him and Parcells will end this season and the divorce will make the Johnson break up look minor.
Go Texans!
True enough. But it'll still be interesting to see if there's tension in the air. I hate the atmosphere under which he left, but his pay expectations weren't realistic.
I cant accept this post as anything but racist.
Eddie George is one of the good men in the game. He grew up poor and his single mother took him to an academy to straighten up his attitude. He straightened up and not only that, after he graduated, he attended The Ohio State University becoming a champion for causes in the community and donating his time and presence in hospitals. Not only is he now a well spoken individual, he is loyal. His loyalty was not returned by the Titans and they separated ways.
Your comment speaks volumes about your pre-conceived notions of black athletes in the game. Perhaps next time you would like to research player's personality and motives before you start throwing out racist remarks?
The Cowboys are rising, big-time.
I'm seeing 10 wins this year, and a playoff spot.
Welcome back to the Lone Star State, Eddie!
Eddie George. Julius jones.
HAha... You have the George-Jones backfield now!
He stopped lovin' her today.....
Æ
Funny, that red-necked ego has won three Super Bowls so far...
yeeeeeee-haaaaahhh!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, you may be overlooking something. He already made a $1 million roster bonus from the Titans this year. That would have brought his total salary this year to $2.5 million, more than the Cowboys are paying.
His new offer from the Titans was also reported to be heavily weighted with performance bonuses. He probably could have earned more with the Titans assuming he actually did a good job. Makes me wonder if he thought he might fall short.
Ditto. Eddie is a very good, positive role model and an example of what young black men should strive to become. He's not a 'dumb jock'.
he is loyal. His loyalty was not returned by the Titans and they separated ways.
That I have to disagree with. There were a lot of shots across the bow on both sides. There were also concilliatory statements by both sides. They almost worked something out, but in the end, did not. Ultimately business is business. Everyone in the NFL knows that. There is no such thing as sentimentality.
It couldn't happen to a nicer team...no no.. really :)
Eddie George is a fine man, who gives many hours of his free time to worthy causes. I've never been a Cowboy's fan, but I will be rooting for Eddie. And lest we forget....ONCE A BUCKEYE, ALWAYS A BUCKEYE!!!!!!
Go Eddie!!!!!
"Funny, that red-necked ego has won three Super Bowls so far..."
That was the team that Jimmy Johnson built and you know that. After Jimmy left, Jones took control of the draft and personel decesions. Please name one Jones pick since those days that has made ALL-Pro?
As soon as Jones starts doing the same to Parcells as he did to Johnson, Parcells will split. This season or next is his limit.
My favorite teams are the Texans and anybody that beats Jerry Jones' Cowgirls!
I cant accept this post as anything but racist.
It wasn't meant as racist or against Eddie George in any way. I am guilty of a smartass flippant remark that reflects how I feel at times. There is NO loyalty in the workforce anymore from either side. It may be the Titans right to pay him less than he deserves, but that don't make it right for what Eddie has done for them. He deserved better treatment from T, I just worded it crudely.
You are correct. Anderson was the feature back for Parcell's second Super Bowl team. The first Parcells Super Bowl team featured a smallish cut back runner whose last name, I believe, was Morris. I can't remember his first name.
Didn't he want to stay with the Titans and wanted assurance that he would be able to stay for more seasons?
In my opinion, he just simply overestimated his true market value. At first he was adamant on getting his original $4.25 million for this season. He backed down a little, my guess is when his agent started making some calls to see what other teams might value him at.
Eddie is a great running back, but reality is, there is no such thing as a 30+ running back with under 1000 yards worth over $2.5 million to any team.
That would be Joe Morris. I'm not sure when the Giants got Anderson, but I think he was originally picked up as a backup to Morris in 1988 or 1989 and then became a starter when some of their younger running backs either didn't pan out (Lewis Tillman) or weren't durable enough to handle the grind of the starting role (Dave Meggett).
But I must also concede that the Dallas Cowboys have been victimized by the idiotic NFL salary cap more than any other team in the league -- because they were unable to keep so many of their own home-grown players from those Super Bowl years.
I would think that the $2.2 million George will be paid would be enough incentive for him to always give 100% on the football field. But the Cowboys have to dangle $2+ million more in front of George's face, as incentives, in order to try to get him to be as productive as he was last season?
I was. Since it wasn't included in the story, and I normally couldn't care less what Eddie George is making.
Eddie George is as tough as nails, very durable and a great guy. But, for every great play he makes there are two where he blew it by picking the wrong hole or falling without being touched because of leaning too far forward.
I have a friend here (Nashville, TN) that is a life long Dallas fan. (He grew up in Texas.) He's pretty lukewarm about it.
Yeah. I can understand your feelings with all that goes on in the NFL, we can get very tired of the temper tantrums from athletes and teams... I just took that to heart since I know Eddie's personality and my dad (a police officer) met him as he was finally moving out of the slums when he signed with the Titans.
Eddie is an upstanding and honorable man. Its just plucked at a nerve.
He's great at grinding it out, fighting for the tough yards. When he's in the backfield, the LBs will be thinking run and cheat up some, making a little more room for our passing game.
I think he's a perfect fit for the Cowboys. And they 'Boys have a wimpy schedule, so this could be a decent year.
Roy Williams.
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