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IRVING, Texas - What was the juiciest story to come out of the NFL Scouting Combine got a little sweeter on Tuesday.
Appearing at an open workout at the Gaylord Texan resort, WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao presented Jerry Jones with a bottle of Caymus Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon, just five days ahead of his title defense at Cowboys Stadium in nearby Arlington.
New Orleans coach Sean Payton had made headlines at the combine by swiping Jones' reserved bottle of the same wine the night before the Cowboys' staff dinner at St. Elmo Steakhouse, only to present it empty, with a note celebrating the Saints' Super Bowl XLIV victory. Jones said the Cowboys' party had a good laugh over the prank the next night, with Payton in attendance for the annual team get-together.
"(Payton) is a regular at that dinner," Jones said. "It's easy for me, knowing Sean, to see how he hijacked the shipment."
Jones said he originally planned to keep the bottle in a special place, but it was accidentally broken by a waiter. Pacquiao's autographed gift might make a good replacement.
"It shows his people instincts," Jones said. "He's obviously a great people person, apart from being a great fighter."
Jones hinted he might turn the tables on Payton by sending Saints owner Tom Benson a bill for the bottle of cab.
Nervous Hands?
The next-biggest Cowboys story coming out of Indianapolis was Jones' declaration that he wanted the roster nervous, only to offer another vote of confidence to wide receiver Roy Williams.
While stressing competition for jobs, Jones said on Feb. 28 that he still saw Williams as a starter next season, despite disappointing returns over his first season and a half with the club. The next logical question became why Jones would handle Williams with kid gloves while issuing warnings to many of his teammates.
Jones said he and Williams both understand the expectations that have been created by the high price paid to acquire him from Detroit.
"We don't need to manufacture things to make Roy nervous, just our situation," Jones said. "As a matter of fact, his ability to handle things that would make any of us nervous has been impressive to me, and it's one of the things I'm encouraged about.
"He's getting that from enough places."
Jones continued to express his confidence in Williams, given the receiver's work ethic.
"He knows how to make it a positive and I've seen him do that," Jones said of the criticism Williams has heard. "If he'll continue to work as hard as he's worked, we're going to be fine with Roy, and he's going to be fine with us."
Market Watchers
Though Jones had said in Indianapolis the Cowboys would be active early in free agency if they had the chance to help themselves, it's now been five days since the signing period began, with no movement.
The Cowboys haven't typically been big players at the beginning of free agency, but when they have, the deals have rarely involved top-tier players. Some of the team's greatest open market coups have resulted from a patient approach, letting the opportunities come to them.
"That's how we got La'Roi Glover," Jones said of the 2002 defensive tackle acquisition. "It wasn't an attempt from months or weeks back to try to orchestrate that to get him. It had to be there for you."
Several record contracts have been struck since free agency began on March 5.
"You're kind of paying a price to push your agenda early. If you let it come to you, you have the best chance of value for the Cowboys."
In the early going of free agency, the Cowboys' NFC East division rivals have been fairly active. The Giants signed safety Antrel Rolle to a five-year $39 million contract, the most money ever for a safety. Philadelphia re-signed Leonard Weaver to the richest contract for a fullback in league history. Even the quieter-than-usual Redskins have signed Artis Hicks as a replacement to retiring offensive tackle Chris Samuels.
"I watch keenly what they do," Jones said of the Cowboys' division opponents. "I don't get into what they're going to do or how they do it, but when they add and improve their roster that gets my attention. Because we've got to win at least one or two games against those guys, so we keep a close eye on it. But as far as feeling like we're jumping behind those guys, no, I don't feel that way, and I got ready for that before we started.
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