Darren Howard TUESDAY

LKelley67 · 03-15-2005, 05:56 PM

i didn\'t read too much on t-buck cuz it was of little interest to me. the portobelli article at espn has as much about howard as t-suck...

The Saints\' roster move came as the team continued to discuss trading defensive end Darren Howard. The Dallas Cowboys are believed to be the front-runner for Howard, and team officials and agent Gary Wichard have exchanged contract proposals contingent on a trade being completed.
While there is still much work to be done, the trade of Howard appears inevitable, and there is no lack of interest in the former second-round draft choice.
At least a half-dozen teams, most notably the Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks, have discussed a possible swap to land Howard, a five-year veteran and a proven pass rusher. The Saints, who designated Howard as a \"franchise\" player, have shopped him for a couple of weeks.
It is believed that the Saints are seeking a high-round draft choice and a defensive player in return for Howard. Wichard has proposed to the Cowboys a six-year deal that would be worth about $34 million and include total bonuses of $16 million. That would include a $7 million signing bonus and $9 million second-tier bonus due next spring.
Should the Cowboys acquire Howard, who has 41 career sacks, it might signal that Dallas coach Bill Parcells has decided not to switch to a 3-4 front in 2005.
Howard, 28, has signed the one-year \"franchise\" qualifying offer of $7.8 million, and that is a prohibitive amount for the Saints to carry on their salary cap. New Orleans, which has a pair of first-round defensive ends in Charles Grant and Will Smith, would prefer to rid itself of that cap hit. By dealing Howard, the Saints would recoup the entire $7.8 million and perhaps use the savings to work on long-term extensions for veterans such as tailback Deuce McAllister and center LeCharles Bentley.
While he has been plagued by injuries the past two seasons, Howard remains a top-shelf player at a premium position. As usual, there is a dearth of quality defensive linemen in the unrestricted free agent pool and that has enhanced his value even further. Dallas has plenty of bargaining ammunition, since it owns two first-round choices in the \'05 draft.

03-15-2005, 05:56 PM	#15
LKelley67 1000 Posts + Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: baton rouge Posts: 2,540	Darren Howard TUESDAY i didn\'t read too much on t-buck cuz it was of little interest to me. the portobelli article at espn has as much about howard as t-suck... The Saints\' roster move came as the team continued to discuss trading defensive end Darren Howard. The Dallas Cowboys are believed to be the front-runner for Howard, and team officials and agent Gary Wichard have exchanged contract proposals contingent on a trade being completed. While there is still much work to be done, the trade of Howard appears inevitable, and there is no lack of interest in the former second-round draft choice. At least a half-dozen teams, most notably the Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks, have discussed a possible swap to land Howard, a five-year veteran and a proven pass rusher. The Saints, who designated Howard as a \"franchise\" player, have shopped him for a couple of weeks. It is believed that the Saints are seeking a high-round draft choice and a defensive player in return for Howard. Wichard has proposed to the Cowboys a six-year deal that would be worth about $34 million and include total bonuses of $16 million. That would include a $7 million signing bonus and $9 million second-tier bonus due next spring. Should the Cowboys acquire Howard, who has 41 career sacks, it might signal that Dallas coach Bill Parcells has decided not to switch to a 3-4 front in 2005. Howard, 28, has signed the one-year \"franchise\" qualifying offer of $7.8 million, and that is a prohibitive amount for the Saints to carry on their salary cap. New Orleans, which has a pair of first-round defensive ends in Charles Grant and Will Smith, would prefer to rid itself of that cap hit. By dealing Howard, the Saints would recoup the entire $7.8 million and perhaps use the savings to work on long-term extensions for veterans such as tailback Deuce McAllister and center LeCharles Bentley. While he has been plagued by injuries the past two seasons, Howard remains a top-shelf player at a premium position. As usual, there is a dearth of quality defensive linemen in the unrestricted free agent pool and that has enhanced his value even further. Dallas has plenty of bargaining ammunition, since it owns two first-round choices in the \'05 draft.