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NFL Suspends Jones Again

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By IRA KAUFMAN

ikaufman@tampatrib.com

Published: October 15, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - Even by Cowboy standards, this has been a dizzying week for owner Jerry Jones.

Two days after quarterback Tony Romo suffered a fractured right pinkie finger that will keep him sidelined for at least three weeks, embattled Dallas cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones was suspended indefinitely without pay for violating the NFL's Personal Conduct policy.

And only an hour after Commissioner Roger Goodell levied Tuesday's sanction that will keep Pacman Jones off the field for at least four weeks, the Cowboys obtained rangy fifth-year wide receiver Roy Williams from Detroit for three 2009 draft picks, including a first-rounder.

"The first guy literally to call Roy after we did the deal was Terrell and Terrell was ecstatic," Jerry Jones said, referring to mercurial Dallas receiver Terrell Owens. "Roy will be at practice tomorrow and hopefully catch balls Sunday."

The Dallas owner said he firmly supports Goodell's stance in suspending Pacman Jones for an Oct. 8 incident that the league described as an "alcohol-related altercation" at a Dallas hotel.

Goodell did not rule out a lifetime ban for Jones, a former first-round pick by the Titans who was suspended for the 2007 season after multiple violations of the league's Personal Conduct policy.

"Yes, it's a possibility," Goodell said, regarding the imposition of a lifetime ban. "He knows when he was reinstated over the summer that I didn't feel he had room for any further errors. It's up to him at this point in time."

Houston owner Bob McNair, also attending the league's fall meeting in downtown St. Petersburg, backed Goodell's unswerving crackdown on player misconduct.

"We don't want players embarrassing their organizations, this league or themselves," McNair said. "They now understand the commissioner is serious about this. He's been very decisive, and I support him all the way. I can't say enough good things about the job Roger Goodell has done for the National Football League."

BROWNS: One day after the Browns' stunning 35-14 upset of the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants, Coach Romeo Crennel delivered a sobering message so his team, still trying to dig its way out of a 2-3 start, doesn't get carried away by 60 successful minutes.

"We still have a lot of work to do," Crennel said during his news conference. "The season is still a long season, and just because we won one game it doesn't put us in the playoffs. We're not even .500."

With an imaginative offense and opportunistic defense, Cleveland made the most of its first Monday night appearance since 2003. Playing perhaps their most-complete home game in the expansion era - or any other - the Browns dominated the favored Giants, who came in unbeaten and riding an 11-game road winning streak.

CHIEFS: Tight end Tony Gonzalez is staying in Kansas City. Coach Herm Edwards said Gonzalez was not traded before Tuesday's deadline.

LIONS: Quarterback Jon Kitna was placed on injured reserve, ending his season.

Kitna suffered a back injury in a loss to Chicago two weeks ago. He did not play last week against Minnesota.

REDSKINS: Former league MVP Shaun Alexander signed with Washington as part of a flurry of roster activity in which the team ditched its punter, shuffled its safeties and displayed Coach Jim Zorn's strong ties to his Seattle Seahawks roots.

The Redskins also cut sixth-round draft pick Durant Brooks, who ranks last in the league in punting, and replaced him with former Seattle punter Ryan Plackemeier.

STEELERS: The team is asking the NFL to clarify why Hines Ward, one of the league's best-blocking receivers, was fined $15,000 the past two games for unnecessary roughness despite not being penalized.

Ward was fined $10,000 following the Steelers' 26-21 win at Jacksonville on Oct. 5, a week after drawing a $5,000 fine for a play in which he stepped over Baltimore cornerback Corey Ivy on Sept. 29. Ward did not draw a penalty on either play.

Information from Tribune wires was used in this report.

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