We all know that Emmitt Smith is not a man of words or creativity, so today he tried something new: stating the obvious. Below is an article of what Emmitt had to say about Pacman Jones and that he has to stay out of trouble to play...ah, Emmitt...duh. If you are already sick of hearing Emmitt talk about things we already know, you shouldn't read this. And yes, this is from the guy who has used the expression, "Sharp as a whistle."

"Emmitt Smith has some advice for suspended Dallas Cowboys cornerback Pacman Jones: Stay out of trouble. "As long as you're not killing anybody, getting anybody shot at and going to jail, then I don't have any issues," said Smith, NFL career rushing leader. The former star running back for Dallas was visiting Cowboys rookie minicamp Saturday. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Jones last year for repeatedly violating the league's personal conduct rules. He's been arrested six times and has been involved in 12 matters requiring police intervention. "Your personal life is your personal life," Smith, an ESPN analyst, added. "Some of the choices you make are not some of the choices I would make. As long as you're out here on the practice field performing like you're supposed to and not getting into any trouble. I'm not going to tell you what you should be doing." The Cowboys acquired Jones from the Tennessee Titans last week, and Smith said he thought it was a good trade to bolster the Dallas secondary. "Pacman is a grown man," Smith said. "He understands the do's and don'ts, the rights and wrongs. He has choices to make. Hopefully he starts making better choices."

Thanks for that free lesson, Emmitt, now we all know what Pac has to do to get back on the field.

ST. LOUIS – One day, he wants to go into space. Brian Barton turned 26 earlier this week, and though the astronaut dream tends to die about the time hormones bloom and adolescence rages, Barton never could abandon it.

"The sky's the limit," he likes to say, and in this instance, he does so standing in front of his locker in the St. Louis Cardinals' clubhouse. He takes the cliché literally and figuratively, the former in his desire to float in the atmosphere and the latter in the career he has carved out in the meantime.

The sky? It's for the African-American kid from South Los Angeles who grew up surrounded by basketball, football and everything but baseball. The one who didn't get drafted out of the University of Miami after a productive college career because teams were worried that he was going to finish his degree in aerospace engineering and hook on with Boeing, where he interned, or perhaps NASA. The one who later signed with the Cleveland Indians for $100,000, put up gaudy numbers at every level and still couldn't crack the 40-man roster because they worried about knee surgery he had last fall.

Left unprotected in the Rule 5 draft, Barton fell to the Cardinals, manna in the form of a 6-foot-3, 190-pound outfielder with pop, speed and, best of all, brains. He has settled in as their fifth outfielder, though he has played plenty in manager Tony La Russa's mix-and-match scheme. He's batting .324, scored four runs and driven in four in 37 at-bats.

And though teams coveted Barton for his tools, he sees something else paramount to his early success.

"My strongest asset is mental," Barton said. "I work on being patient and always being ready, and you have to be in this role.

"I like to invest in knowledge. Anything that can help me learn about different people, different things. That's what drives a lot of what I do and why people may think things I do are out of the ordinary. You can't take away things you know."

That ethos guides Barton in and away from baseball. He started college at Loyola Marymount in L.A. on an academic scholarship but transferred to Miami for its blend of academics and athletics. Once there, the travel bug bit, and between his junior and senior years, Barton took a solo sojourn to the place that seemed most foreign to him. There's no point in traveling, he figured, unless it delivers a good jolt to your senses.

Ethiopia it was. A professor of Barton's had a friend who helped him find a hotel. Barton tried to learn some Amharic. He spent two weeks walking around, trying his best to blend in, though the mini-Afro he sported at the time gave him away.

"I wanted to go out there and see if I could do it, and I did," Barton said. "I had gotten over the hump. So, where next?"

Europe. Check. The Caribbean. Check. Barton had to temper his wanderlust last offseason because he took a few courses at Miami. His goal is to visit every country in the world. He's got 190 or so to go.

"I'm about 10 deep," Barton said. "This offseason I'll do a few. Hopefully, I live a long enough life to do it."

Keeping a spot in the big leagues can certainly fund such journeys. Most Rule 5 picks end up returned to the teams from which they were selected, and those who stick generally do so in small roles. Johan Santana bided his time in mop-up duty for Minnesota before later spending half a season in the minor leagues to hone his game.

Barton is an exception. The Cardinals look brilliant for picking him and have plans for him. Had left fielder Skip Schumaker not gotten off to such a great start, Barton would be getting more at-bats.

"He's earned his roster spot, which is the best compliment I can give him," La Russa said. "Sometimes you take a Rule 5 guy and you're investing in the future as long as he can hold his own, but he's made this club. He did it in spring training, and he continues to do it by his play."

Last week, Barton pinch hit in the ninth inning of a tie game against Houston and drew a leadoff walk that contributed to the winning run. Two days earlier, he stroked two hits, drove in two runs and pushed the Cardinals ahead in a victory against Pittsburgh.

For now, this baseball racket is working just fine. Barton has one semester of classes remaining, and the only time Miami offers them is during the season. So the degree can wait.

"It doesn't mean sometime later in his career he can't pursue the other," said La Russa, who is familiar with potential second careers, having earned his juris doctorate in the offseason when he was a player. He went into managing instead of law, aware that such opportunities are scarce, and knows Barton faces the same decision.

"This is the only time he can pursue this one."

Ah, but what if? What if NASA called tomorrow and told him the next time the shuttle took off, he'd be on it? What if he needed to answer his ultimate hypothetical?

"If I had an opportunity to go, man, I'd want to go," Barton said. "If it came down to baseball or that, it'd be a hard decision. Good thing I'm not in that position."

No. Barton's in one, for now, that's plenty good, one that rivals where he'd be had he taken the other road. Flying high in the sky.

By now, you all probably know that the Broncos took tackle Ryan Clady first round in this year's draft. But as a Broncos fan, I really didn't like the pick at all. In my opinion, they should have chosen Chris Williams, a tackle from Vanderbilt, who actually played great competition in college when he faced SEC opponents during his career. Offensive linemen have to be smart, too. Williams scored a 32 on the wonderlic test, as opposed to Clady, who scored a 13. So what were the Broncos thinking? I don't have any answer to that question, but here's a video of Ryan Clady in a one on one interview after he was drafted by the Broncos to just show how dumb he really is.

All of you Eagles fans can now rejoice, you got your WR.

The Eagles have just traded their 2nd round pick to the Vikings. So Eagles fans, what;s your take?

With the recent news of Pacman headed to Dallas to be a Cowboy, it made me wonder of which teams have the best corner tandems in the league. Here's my list of my top 5.

1. Champ Bailey and Dre Bly, Denver Broncos

2. Pacman Jones and Terrance Newman, Dallas Cowboys

3. Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown, Philadelphia Eagles

4. Al Harris and Charles Woodson, Green Bay Packers

5. Antonio Cromartie and Quentin Jammer, San Diego Chargers

The New York Jets traded defensive lineman Dewayne Robertson to the Denver Broncos for an undisclosed draft pick or picks, ESPN.com's Bill Williamson reported Thursday.

The Jets had agreed to send Robertson to Cincinnati on the first weekend of the NFL trading period for fourth- and fifth-round picks, but because of a knee issue he didn't pass the Bengals' physical.

The Broncos were close to trading for him in mid-March but talks stalled when the team suddenly fired general manager Ted Sundquist on March 12. Sundquist was the point man in the talks with the Jets.

Robertson's contract will have to be restructured and the Broncos have been in on- and off-again talks with his agent, Hadley Engelhard, for several weeks. Robertson is due a $3 million bonus in June and has salary cap number of about $11 million for this season. Thus, Denver would have to redo the deal to make it fiscally worthwhile, especially with the Broncos in a cost-conscious mode this offseason.

Robertson, 26, was the No. 4 overall draft pick in the 2003 draft out of Kentucky. He had 57 tackles for the Jets last season.

The Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans have agreed in principle on a trade for suspended cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones.

The agreement, which was first reported by ESPN's Ed Werder, was confirmed to The Associated Press by both teams.

Dallas will send its fourth-round pick (the 126th overall) in Saturday's draft to the Titans for Jones.

There are also conditions attached to the trade related to Jones being reinstated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and how much he plays for the Cowboys. If he plays a significant amount of time in 2008, the Titans will get an additional pick from the Cowboys in 2009.

If he doesn't get reinstated by the NFL, the Titans will send an undisclosed 2009 draft pick back to the Cowboys.

Also, Pacman has reached a financial settlement with the Titans regarding his contract situation. ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports that Jones must pay $500,000 to a charity chosen by the Titans sometime in the next two years. He will receive a new contract from the Cowboys.

"Florida State officials said they will have an announcement on the future of standout receiver Preston Parker after the athlete's arrest in South Florida on drug and weapons charges.

According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, Parker was arrested early Tuesday on charges of carrying a concealed .45-caliber handgun and possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana.

Parker was named Florida State's most valuable player last season after leading the team with 1,513 all-purpose yards and 62 receptions.

The 21-year-old's arrest is the first major discipline problem at the school since the arrival of new athletic director Randy Spetman earlier this year." -AP

In honor of Marshawn Lynch's birthday today April 22nd, and my birthday tomorrow April 23rd, I thought it would be a great and entertaining idea to countdown the 10 gifts I would give Marshawn on his special day. This list is also like giving a birthday gift to myself, just because of the humor.

10. Nike Customized Air Beast Mode shoes

9.Gift Card to Applebee's

8. Key to the City of Buffalo

7. Power Hour Card to Dave and Buster's

6. An Oompa Loompa

5. Madden 09 so he can go "Stupid" and come with that "Rip"

4. Lil Wayne concert tickets

3. Spell Checker

2. Oakland Athletics apparel

1. "Way 2 Solid" grill

"Court documents allege that a 29-year-old man arrested for a Las Vegas strip club shooting extorted hush money from suspended Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones.

Police said Arvin Kenti Edwards, of Renton, Washington, used go-betweens to reach Jones, who paid $15,000 over several installments to various people after the shooting.

Three people were shot, including a man who ended up paralyzed -- after a melee at the Minxx strip club during the NBA All-Star Weekend in February 2007.

Edwards is in custody at the Yakima County Correctional Facility after being arrested Friday on attempted murder and battery charges. He is due in court Wednesday to face extradition." -AP

"I thought this fake mock draft was pretty cool. Sorry to Eagles fans, you're not even getting a No. 1 receiver in a draft that you can pick any player you want, you're getting Romo.

1. Miami Dolphins: Tom Brady, quarterback, Patriots. Is there any doubt about this one? Though he's now 30 years old, Brady will make any team a contender until the day he retires.

2. St. Louis Rams: Jared Allen, defensive end, Chiefs. Allen is an absolute beast, arguably the best defensive player in the league. And he's only 26.

3. Atlanta Falcons: Peyton Manning, quarterback, Colts. The Falcons need to put a new face on the franchise. Manning gives them a whole head. And a big one at that.

4. Oakland Raiders: LaDainian Tomlinson, running back, Chargers. Making this pick, I factored in the strong possibility that the Raiders would do something screwy, like select a guy who is starting to show signs of being on the downside of his career. But, hey, it would hurt a division rival, so why not?

5. Kansas City Chiefs: Joe Thomas, left tackle, Browns. Thomas is entering only his second year, but he's already on track to have a dozen or more seasons of dominance at the most important position on the offensive line.

6. New York Jets: Richard Seymour, defensive end, Patriots. The NFL's version of the Hatfields and McCoys continues. Seymour is a future Hall of Famer with plenty of gas left in the tank.

7. New England Patriots: Darelle Revis, cornerback, Jets. See No. 6. Besides, Revis is on track to become the best cornerback in the league. And it would absolutely kill the Jets to lose him to the Pats.

8. Baltimore Ravens: Eli Manning, quarterback, Giants. In Eli, the Ravens might finally find their answer at quarterback—that is, if January and February weren't a fluke.

9. Cincinnati Bengals: Patrick Willis, linebacker, 49ers. The best young linebacker in the league would fill one of Cincy's most pressing needs. (He'd be even more attractive to them with an arrest or two under his belt.)

10. New Orleans Saints: Kevin Williams, defensive tackle, Vikings. The Saints need lots of help in the "keep the other team from scoring more points than us" aspect of the game, and the disruptive Williams would make the rest of the defense better, instantly.

11. Buffalo Bills: Larry Fitzgerald, receiver, Cardinals. The Bills are looking for a guy to complement Lee Evans. Why not take a guy who's even better?

12. Denver Broncos: Adrian Peterson, running back, Vikings. Mike Shanahan can't resist a one-cut running back with speed. Peterson is already one of the best ever.

13. Carolina Panthers: Walter Jones, left tackle, Seahawks. Sure, he's getting old. But he'd tremendously help a Panthers offense that needs to improve right now.

14. Chicago Bears: Ben Roethlisberger, quarterback, Steelers. Big Ben would stabilize a quarterback position that has been largely in shambles since the days of Sid Luckman.

15. Detroit Lions: Carson Palmer, quarterback, Bengals. At this point, any team without Chad Johnson on the roster would be an oasis for Palmer. Even the Lions.

16. Arizona Cardinals: Marion Barber, running back, Cowboys. Barber is precisely the type of hard-charging running back who could make coach Ken Whisenhunt's offense go.

17. Minnesota Vikings: Jason Taylor, defensive end, Dolphins. Taylor's presence would make this team an immediate contender. (If it could get back Kevin Williams and Adrian Peterson.)

18. Houston Texans: Asante Samuel, cornerback, Eagles. One of the biggest question marks on the team's defense would be filled with an exclamation point.

19. Philadelphia Eagles: Tony Romo, quarterback, Cowboys. Getting a quarterback for five years at a favorable contract slot while simultaneously swiping the Dallas starter would likely prompt the powers-that-be to overlook the whole "intense local outcry" thing that would result from adding Romo to a roster that features Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Donovan McNabb, quarterback, Eagles. Problem solved for Philly, as Bucs coach Jon Gruden adds yet another quarterback to the roster. The good news is that this one, unlike the others Gruden has collected, can actually play.

21. Washington Redskins: Chad Johnson, receiver, Bengals. Somehow, some way, Drew Rosenhaus would convince Dan Snyder to opt for Ocho Cinco.

22. Dallas Cowboys: Steve Smith, receiver, Panthers. Improperly used and lacking a strong quarterback and supporting cast for two years in Carolina, Smith would be an instant star in Dallas. Even T.O. would have his popcorn ready.

23. Pittsburgh Steelers: Vince Wilfork, defensive tackle, Patriots. Wilfork would be a huge asset for the Steelers' defense, regardless of whether they stay in a 3-4 or shift to a 4-3.

24. Tennessee Titans: Dwight Freeney, defensive end, Colts. Though a tad on the overrated side, Freeney would make a very good defense downright dominant.

25. Seattle Seahawks: Antonio Gates, tight end, Chargers. The long, fruitless search for a tight end who can catch the ball (and/or not get in all sorts of trouble) is over.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars: Reggie Wayne, receiver, Colts. With Wayne as the No. 1 wideout and Jerry Porter as the No. 2, the Jags' offense could hold its own with the likes of the Colts and Pats.

27. San Diego Chargers: Atari Bigby, safety, Packers. A young, big-hitting defensive back quickly coming into his own is just what the Bolts need.

28. Dallas Cowboys: Champ Bailey, cornerback, Broncos. Though Bailey might not have many years left, the Cowboys would like to win a playoff game or two at some point before the end of the decade. Bailey would help them get there in the short term.

29. San Francisco 49ers: Lance Briggs, linebacker, Bears. Surely the 'Niners wouldn't be able to resist a legitimate, non-tampering opportunity to add Briggs to the team.

30. Green Bay Packers: Matt Hasselbeck, quarterback, Seahawks. With Brett Favre retired (we think) and the team otherwise ready to make a run at a Super Bowl, a former Packer who knows the West Coast offense inside and out would be the perfect candidate.

31. New England Patriots: Forfeited. It's very important to be realistic in this draft.

32. New York Giants: Ray Lewis, linebacker, Ravens. He might only have two or three years left, but Lewis could run free behind those monsters on the defensive line." -Mike Florio, SportingNews

Here is my first and final mock draft I will do this year, hope you guys enjoy it.

1. Miami Dolphins: Jake Long, T, Michigan

2. St.Louis Rams: Chris Long, DE, Virginia

3. Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College

4. Oakland Raiders: Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU

5. Kansas City Chiefs: Branden Albert, G, Virginia

6. New York Jets: Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas

7. New England Patriots: Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State

8. Baltimore Ravens: Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy

9. Cincinnati Bengals: Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC

10. New Orleans Saints: Keith Rivers, LB, USC

11. Buffalo Bills: Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan State

12. Denver Broncos: Chris Williams, T, Vanderbilt

13. Carolina Panthers: Ryan Clady, OT, Boise St.

14. Chicago Bears: Jeff Otah, OT, Pitt

15. Detroit Lions: Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois

16. Arizona Cardinals: Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida

17. Minnesota Vikings: Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson

18. Houston Texans: Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida

19. Philadelphia Eagles: Limas Sweed, WR, Texas

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, Tennessee State

21. Washington Redskins: Calais Campbell, DE, Miami(FL)

22. Dallas Cowboys: Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas

23. Pittsburgh Steelers: Gosder Cherilus, T, Boston College

24. Tennessee Titans: DeSean Jackson, WR, Cal

25. Seattle Seahawks: Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon

26. Jacksonville Jaguars: Kentwan Balmer DT North Carolina

27. San Diego Chargers: Kenny Phillips, S, Miami

28. Dallas Cowboys: Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas

29.San Francisco 49ers: Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma

30. Green Bay Packers: Reggie Smith, CB, Oklahoma

31. New England Patriots: Spygate

32. New York Giants: Jerod Mayo, LB, Tennessee

Devin Hester is reportedly not happy with his current contract with the Chicago Bears, and this could mean a trade to the Philadelphia Eagles is possible. Philadelphia already has Larry Fitzgerald, Chad Johnson, Brandon Marshall, and Anquan Boldin coming in, so it seems that this would be a great fit for the Eagles and it could be the final piece to their Super Bowl run in 2008.

(This article is to not be taken seriously)

"Veteran receiver Darrell Jackson has reached agreement on a contract with the Denver Broncos, his agent confirmed today.

The one-year deal is contingent on Jackson passing a physical. Jackson has had knee injuries, but he missed only one game last season.

Jackson, 29, could compete for a starting job in Denver after starting 15 games for San Francisco last season. The Broncos expect to be without injured No. 1 receiver Brandon Marshall until training camp. Fellow starter Brandon Stokley caught 40 passes last season. The team recently signed free-agent receiver Samie Parker as well.

Jackson has averaged 61 receptions per season since entering the NFL with Seattle in 2000. He is looking for a fresh start after struggling to hit his stride during a forgettable season with San Francisco.

The 49ers acquired Jackson from the NFC West-rival Seahawks last offseason, but their offense struggled after losing coordinator Norv Turner and starting quarterback Alex Smith. Jackson finished the 2007 season with 46 receptions for 497 yards and three touchdowns in 15 starts. He had never caught fewer than 62 passes in a season when starting more than nine games.

Jackson appeared to be in the early stages of developing a rapport with Smith when he caught second-half passes for 17, 20 and 20 yards during a Sept. 23 game at Pittsburgh. Smith suffered an injury after attempting only one pass the following week, missing seven of the final 10 games before undergoing shoulder surgery.

Jackson's production spiked when Shaun Hill replaced injured veteran Trent Dilfer late in the season. Jackson caught 14 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns once Hill took over for the final three-plus games of the season.

The Seahawks traded Jackson to the 49ers for a fourth-round choice after growing weary of a long-running contract dispute with their former No. 1 wideout. Jackson had also suffered from knee and foot injuries in recent seasons, limiting his availability for practices." -Mike Sando, ESPN