The Jaguars are on the list of teams reportedly giving Adam “Pacman” Jones a look.

Jones

This made some Jacksonville fans panicky.



As Jonathan Loesche pointed out in an effort to calm fans before I could say roughly the same, it likely amounts to “due diligence tire kicking.”



I don’t expect him back in the league, but I can understand why a team that hasn’t seen him up close might give him a look.



If a team ’s personnel people fall for yet another “changed man” routine, it will come back to bite them. A guy with this many strikes simply isn’t worth the risk. I covered Jones for his entire disastrous tenure in Tennessee and am completely comfortable saying he’s toxic.



Jags GM Gene Smith has been nicknamed “Clean Gene” by Pete Prisco on the radio in Jacksonville.



Jones wasn’t a good player last time we saw him in Dallas, and more time away is unlikely to have made him better.



For A GM who leans toward drafting college captains who can lead and fall in line with the program and who runs a team that had a bitter experience with Jerry Porter, Jones would be a complete non-fit.

The Jaguars are on the list of teams reportedly giving Adam “Pacman” Jones a look.

Jones

This made some Jacksonville fans panicky.



As Jonathan Loesche pointed out in an effort to calm fans before I could say roughly the same, it likely amounts to “due diligence tire kicking.”



I don’t expect him back in the league, but I can understand why a team that hasn’t seen him up close might give him a look.



If a team ’s personnel people fall for yet another “changed man” routine, it will come back to bite them. A guy with this many strikes simply isn’t worth the risk. I covered Jones for his entire disastrous tenure in Tennessee and am completely comfortable saying he’s toxic.



Jags GM Gene Smith has been nicknamed “Clean Gene” by Pete Prisco on the radio in Jacksonville.



Jones wasn’t a good player last time we saw him in Dallas, and more time away is unlikely to have made him better.



For A GM who leans toward drafting college captains who can lead and fall in line with the program and who runs a team that had a bitter experience with Jerry Porter, Jones would be a complete non-fit.



UPDATE, 5:09 p.m.: Jones did not show up for the workout, which was to follow Tulane’s pro day, according to James Varney. A shocker. I am sure Jones will have an excuse ready and maybe it’ll even be legit. If he attempts to set up another try, the interested parties list will be even smaller. Hat tip to @brian_mcintyre for the link.



UPDATE, 5:53 p.m.: Now, according to my collegue Kevin Seifert, Jones is working out. I cannot believe that something involving Jones and his people would involve such confusion.

If the Dallas Cowboys are interested in Oklahoma State draft prospect Dez Bryant, why wouldn’t they be interested in Denver restricted free agent Brandon Marshall?

Marshall

Getting Marshall may actually be less difficult to than Bryant and Marshall is a much better player at this point.



Dallas has the No. 27 pick in the draft and it is planning to workout Bryant. Clearly, there is interest in adding a receiver. Bryant, even though he may slip down the draft board due to off-the-field questions, likely won’t be available at No. 27. Dallas would likely have to trade up to get Bryant.



If the Cowboys want Marshall, they could very well get him for the No. 27 pick. Denver put a first-round tender on Marshall and would like a first-round pick in return for Marshall.



Yes, Marshall wants a contract extension and he isn’t exactly looking for a bargain deal. Yes, Dallas also has to address receiver Miles Austin. But Bryant wouldn’t be a cheap pickup, either.



And we are talking about Jerry Jones here. There is enough money in Dallas for both Marshall and Austin. If Dallas wants another big-play receiver, Marshall could be the answer.

Despite having little talent at tight end, the Patriots seemed to shrug while tight end Ben Watson signed with the Browns, a move of some interest in the NFC West after Watson visited Seattle.



What should this tell us?



One, Watson had great appeal relative to a weak crop of free-agent tight ends, but otherwise not so much. Two, the upcoming draft appears deep at quite a few positions, including tight end.



The chart shows where teams have found Pro Bowl tight ends in the draft since 2000. Ten of them earned Pro Bowl recognition. Seven were first-round choices and three of those seven — Kellen Winslow, Bubba Franks and Jeremy Shockey — went to Miami. An eighth, Alge Crumpler, was an early second-round choice (35th overall).

TAMPA, Fla. — I’m on my way to see a New York Yankees spring training game (weather permitting) tonight. But I had to pull over to give you a little update on Jake Delhomme.

Delhomme

The former Carolina quarterback visited the Cleveland Browns on Thursday, but, as we’ve been saying all along, there remains a real possibility of him staying in the NFC South. There are reports Delhomme’s next visit will be to the New Orleans Saints.



We’ve even heard from a reliable source in New Orleans that coach Sean Payton was heard publicly praising Delhomme earlier today.



This one makes sense on a lot of levels. Payton tried to get Delhomme to Dallas when he was an assistant coach there. He also currently is in the market for a backup quarterback because Mark Brunell is a free agent or could be heading for retirement. Delhomme would be an upgrade over Brunell because he’s younger. He also would be a good extra pair of eyes for starter Drew Brees and is a good guy to have in the locker room.



Then, there’s Delhomme’s history. He grew up in Louisiana and loves it there. He began his career with the Saints and was a fan favorite. That was back at a time when former coach Jim Haslett was obligated to “franchise’’ quarterback Aaron Brooks because of his draft status. Delhomme never had a shot to compete with Brooks.



In the current climate, Delhomme also would be a backup because nobody’s going to take Brees’ job anytime soon. But Delhomme may be at a point in his life and his career where he can be content with that. Plus, he’d be back home.



We’ll see what happens over the next few days.

Falling



Redskins defensive end Andre Carter: Yes, we’re bringing back this wildly popular entry for a couple of months. And honestly, I think it’s too early to suggest that any of the four NFC teams are in the “falling” category. The Cowboys are certainly the quietest team in free agency, but I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing. But in the interest of participation, let’s put Carter in the “falling” section. I’ve said from the start that he’s not a good fit as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 and now there’s speculation he could lose his starting job. Carter’s been a highly productive player in the league, but he’s looked awkward in the past when asked to stand up in the 3-4. Greg Ellis went through this in Dallas under Bill Parcells, but he eventually became a productive outside linebacker. We’ll see how things turn out for Carter.



Rising



Philadelphia Eagles: This is a team that is desperately trying to close the gap with the Cowboys. I like that general manager Howie Roseman has locked up talented players such as Leonard Weaver and Jason Avant. And signing former Colts cornerback Marlin Jackson is a good risk to take. Yes, he’s had two torn ACLs (one on each knee). But the Eagles reportedly kept the guaranteed money low enough that they won’t feel burned if he struggles. If the 26-year-old returns to form, he could start at free safety for the next three or four years. The Eagles also restructured guard Stacy Andrews‘ contract. I bumped into offensive line coach Juan Castillo in Indianapolis and he truly believes Andrews will come back strong in 2010 after being hampered by a knee injury.



Welcome back to the Stock Watch. That’s how I see it.

Each Wednesday leading up to the NFL draft (April 22-24), the ESPN.com blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today’s topic: Recent history.



Dallas Cowboys



One of the reasons the Cowboys don’t have any glaring needs (other than place-kicker) is that they hit on some picks in ‘07 and ‘08. And of course, you can’t discount what Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland accomplished in stocking this team with talent from 2003 to 2006. Owner Jerry Jones has spent a lot of his money on defense, and in the first round in ‘07 he turned to Purdue outside linebacker Anthony Spencer, who was brilliant down the stretch in ‘09. In 2008, the Cowboys found a running back and a cornerback in the first round. Felix Jones and Mike Jenkins could both be stars in the league for years. Because of the Roy Williams trade in ‘08, the ‘09 draft was pretty much a wash. The Cowboys tried to land special-teams standouts who could hopefully play their way into larger roles. Other than kickoff specialist David Buehler, the ‘09 draft is still a mystery. With the 27th pick in next month’s draft, the Cowboys don’t have to reach for any position. I know they’re hoping to see a couple of cornerbacks slip in the first round and it would be nice to add a linebacker. But there are no glaring needs heading into the draft, and that puts Dallas in an enviable position. But if you study trends over the past seven years or so, you’d have to expect the Cowboys to go with a defensive player in the first round.



New York Giants



The Giants can’t rest on their laurels of that outstanding class of ‘07. When you land a quality running back such as Ahmad Bradshaw in the seventh round, you’re on a roll. And general manager Jerry Reese will always be remembered for a class that included Aaron Ross, Steve Smith and Kevin Boss. It was an immediate impact draft, and the Giants need another one in April. In ‘08, the Giants took a safety and cornerback with their first two picks. Safety Kenny Phillips out of Miami has the talent to become a Pro Bowler if he can recover from a serious knee injury, and cornerback Terrell Thomas was one of the few defenders who played well in ‘08. The Giants selected wide receiver Mario Manningham in the third round, but the ‘08 draft was about creating depth on defense. It’s hard to nail down a trend with Reese and his scouting staff because they’re pretty patient about waiting for the right players. They rarely get obsessed with a certain position, although linebacker is certainly a big need in April. I expect the Giants to stay right where they are at No. 15 and select a talented player. But I promise you that Reese hasn’t committed to taking a linebacker.



Philadelphia Eagles



In the 2007 draft, the Eagles drafted their future (presumably) quarterback in Kevin Kolb. Then they landed starting middle linebacker Stewart Bradley in the third round and superb tight end Brent Celek in the fifth. Defensive end Victor Abiamiri has never really lived up to his second-round status and running back Tony Hunt was an outright bust from the start. The Eagles tried to bolster their defensive line in ‘08, but Trevor Laws has been a disappointment and Bryan Smith is nowhere to be found. The draft was saved by a wide receiver out of Cal named DeSean Jackson. He’s become one of the most feared offensive players in the game. The Eagles continued to covet speed and quickness on offense in ‘09 by drafting wide receiver Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy. They also hit on late-round pick Moise Fokou, who could emerge as an outstanding special-teams player — if he’ll stop getting penalties. The Eagles haven’t done enough in the draft to bolster their secondary over the past three years. It’s time to start drafting cornerbacks and safeties a little earlier. Macho Harris and Quintin Demps have been decent finds, but you can’t just throw them out there as starters. It’s time for the Eagles to use premium picks on the defensive side of the ball if they want to close the gap with the Cowboys. To be clear, it’s time to find someone who can cover Jason Witten and Miles Austin.



Washington Redskins



With new coach Mike Shanahan and general manager Bruce Allen, this organization is headed in a different direction. We haven’t seen any of the splashy moves in free agency that owner Dan Snyder loved. In the past, the Redskins rarely had a lot of picks in the draft. They took safety LaRon Landry in ‘07, but he’s never really met expectations. He obviously has a lot of physical gifts but his habit of biting on double moves gets the Skins in big trouble. In ‘08, Snyder and Vinny Cerrato turned to the offensive side of the ball and spent their three second-round picks on two receivers and a tight end. The verdict’s still out on the ‘08 draft, but tight end Fred Davis emerged as a consistent threat when Chris Cooley was injured last season. And Devin Thomas has rare speed and quickness as a wideout. Now, he needs to continue showing maturity. With the addition of pass-rusher Brian Orakpo in ‘09, the Redskins landed a Pro Bowl player. Now it’s time to start drafting offensive and defensive linemen. That’s the trend that stands out over the past decade. The Redskins didn’t build in the trenches, and they’ve paid the price. With the No. 4 pick, Shanahan will be tempted to take a left tackle. Especially if Sam Bradford’s already gone. And it’s hard to go wrong with either Russell Okung or Bryan Bulaga.

The item comparing the Cardinals’ current offseason to their 1999 offseason did not go over well with a few fans who know the organization has made significant strides since then.



I was comparing only the personnel losses.



The Cardinals in their current form are obviously better positioned to weather turnover. But the current Cardinals are also suffering far more significant personnel losses than the team suffered after beating Dallas in the playoffs following the 1998 season. Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin, Karlos Dansby and Antrel Rolle are very good players.



“Sando, I’d like to leave the door open for the Cardinals to somewhat make out OK,” Facebook friend Andrew wrote. “For you to compare the 1999 Cardinals to the 2010 Cardinals is a bit of rhetoric. The organization has come a long way since then. So this offseason is yet to be written.”



Andrew is a hardcore Cardinals fan. I’ve tailgated with him at University of Phoenix Stadium and talked Cardinals with him at training camp in Flagstaff. A couple seasons ago, I was the one trying to convince Andrew and other weary Arizona fans that the organization had indeed turned a corner. Every time the Cardinals appeared close to breaking through, fans seemed to brace for imminent failure. The organization had let them down so many times before.



Andrew is right when he says it’s too early to write off the Cardinals’ offseason. The team could still fortify its roster with a few lower-priced free-agent finds. The team could discover another immediate contributor or two in the draft. Matt Leinart could exceed expectations. Beanie Wells could enjoy a breakout season.



“It seems bad, but it’s only the first day of free agency,” Facebook friend Sue cautioned. “There are a few guys on the radar, so let’s see how this plays out before we write the eulogy.”



Fair enough. But when you watch Warner, Boldin, Dansby and Rolle walk away in a matter of weeks, it’s also fair to expect a dropoff.



“Mike — You have been anti-Arizona the last three months,” Andy wrote. “We’re still NFC West champs two years running. I only wish we could have kept Dansby, but you always must consider value vs. money. Boldin and Rolle have been liabilities for years.”



Arizona has had some negative things happen in the last few months. That will be reflected in the coverage. No one said Arizona was not NFC West champs for two years running. Boldin a liability? I wouldn’t call him that. We’ll see what kind of liability Rolle has been if/when Rashad Johnson, Matt Ware or someone else is on the back end. Arizona has done a nice job filling holes, but anyone looking at this team right now should be able to see what has happened recently. Not good.

The 1998 Cardinals beat Dallas in the playoffs, then lost tackle Lomas Brown, fullback Larry Centers and linebacker Jamir Miller in a free-agent exodus precipitating a 6-10 record the following season.



The current offseason is feeling somewhat similar.



The Cardinals have lost Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin, Karlos Dansby, Antrel Rolle and Bertrand Berry since their most recent game.



They will not be considered an NFC power heading into the 2010 season.



“Don’t think just because we lost some key guys that we ain’t gone (sic) bust heads,” defensive end Darnell Dockett tweeted after Rolle agreed to terms with the Giants.



Dockett might be right. The Cardinals have bucked expectations recently. But their inability to re-sign Dansby or Rolle — on the same day they traded Boldin — makes Friday one of the darker days recently for Arizona.



Losing Warner alone could have set back the Cardinals multiple games in the standings. They’ll have to scramble now.

We have been tracking guaranteed money on this blog ever since Detroit committed quarterback Matthew Stafford to an NFL-record $41.7 million on the eve of the 2009 draft. Finally, it’s time for Stafford’s deal to take a back seat.



But as it turns out, the record remains in the NFC North family. (Would you have expected anything else?) Chicago guaranteed defensive end Julius Peppers $42 million on Friday, putting Peppers at the top of our list:



Chicago defensive end Julius Peppers: $42 million

Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford: $41.7 million

Washington defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth: $41 million

San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers: $38 million

Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick: $37 million*

Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger: $36 million

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning: $35 million

Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan: $34.8 million

Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning: $34.5 million

Oakland quarterback JaMarcus Russell: $31.5 million

Dallas quarterback Tony Romo: $30 million

*Vick’s deal has since been terminated.



It will be interesting to see how long Peppers’ record stands. If a quarterback is drafted No. 1 overall next month, you would think his guaranteed money would overtake Stafford. With only a $300,000 difference between Stafford and Peppers, there is a chance the record could soon fall. Other candidates include Manning and New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, both of whom are expected to receive contract extensions this offseason.