GumboBC

Howard update

New Orleans coach Jim Haslett said the Cowboys have never made a formal offer for Saints defensive end Darren Howard. Dallas, though, has declined to trade linebacker Dat Nguyen, a player coveted by the Saints.

"They keep saying they'd like to have [Howard], and Darren is a heck of a football player," Haslett said. "But they've never really sat down and said, 'Would you take this?' or 'Would you take that?' "

The Saints used the franchise tag on Howard, guaranteeing him $7.8 million this season, but New Orleans has been working to trade the five-year veteran who had 11 sacks last season and has 41 in his career. Haslett said a trade must be agreed upon by the NFL Draft on April 23-24, or Howard is staying in New Orleans.

"After the draft, it's null and void; we're going to keep Darren," Haslett said. "If we can get equal value, whether it's a defensive player or a draft pick, then we'd probably go ahead and do it. If not, then we're going to keep Darren, and he'll be our starting right end. You can't have enough good players. We're not going to just let him go. Everybody thinks you're going to let him go, because you've got an abundance of good ends."

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/football/11218177.htm