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Joey on the move Cowboys add explosive Galloway to wide receiver corps
Posted: Sunday February 13, 2000 02:03 AM
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- The Dallas Cowboys, desperate to give Troy Aikman a big-time receiver, acquired unrestricted free agent Joey Galloway from Seattle on Saturday for the Cowboys' first-round picks this year and next. Galloway set up the trade by signing a deal with the Seahawks on Saturday. Minutes later, Seattle traded him to the Cowboys, who had already come to terms with him on a 7-year, $42 million deal. "This really does complement everything we have done and is in synch with our plans for this team," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "Our basic philosophy is that we have made a change in offense." The Seahawks named Galloway their exclusive franchise player on Thursday after an arbitrator in Washington, D.C., ruled him an unrestricted free agent. By putting the franchise player tab on Galloway, the Seahawks controlled which team or teams he could talk with. Friday, Seattle coach and general manager Mike Holmgren granted Jones permission to talk to Galloway.
Friday night, Galloway fired his agents, Eric Metz and Ethan Lock, and hired a new agent, Leigh Steinberg. After a first-round playoff loss following an 8-8 regular season, coach Chan Gailey was fired and replaced by Dave Campo. Former quarterbacks coach Jack Reilly was hired to bring back the same offense the Cowboys ran when they won three Super Bowls in the 1990s. Galloway, 28, fits into the plan, giving Aikman another proven receiver and taking pressure off Raghib Ismail, whose production dropped after Michael Irvin suffered a season-ending and possible career-ending neck injury. In his first four NFL seasons, Galloway had three 1,000-yard seasons. He was the NFL's offensive rookie of the year in 1995, and had 65 receptions for 1,047 yards and 10 touchdowns in 1998, his last full season. "It was difficult to negotiate when you have Troy Aikman calling every 20 minutes saying get it done, get it done," said Steinberg, who also represents Aikman. Jones first started talking to Holmgren about Galloway last fall, and worked quickly to complete a deal when the NFL's free agency period began Friday. Galloway missed all of the preseason and the first eight games last season because of a contract dispute. When he did return, his numbers were down from previous years, with just 22 passes for 335 yards and a touchdown. "The situation in Seattle deteriorated on the field in so many ways, I'm glad that is behind me," Galloway said. "I hope I shook off the rust in the 10 games I did play last year." Galloway, from Ohio State, was Seattle's first-round draft pick and the eighth choice overall in the 1995 draft. Although he was never selected to play in the Pro Bowl, Galloway became one of the NFL's top deep threats because of his blazing speed. He had three 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
But he butted heads with Holmgren and refused to come to training camp. Then he missed the exhibition season and the first half of the season, and Holmgren took a $35 million, 7-year contract off the table. The team was 6-2 without him and 3-6 with him, including a playoff loss to Miami in which he made one reception for 22 yards. In eight games, he had 22 catches for 335 yards and one touchdowns. The holdout ruined Galloway's season, Holmgren said. "You compare what he did to what he had done previously and it wasn't the same," Holmgren said. "Regardless of how gifted a player is, to miss all that time and to come off the street and play and think you can function like you're used to functioning, that doesn't happen." However, Holmgren said he doesn't believe Galloway's lackluster season hurt his market value. "The deal speaks for itself, I believe," he said. In addition to getting two first-round picks, the Seahawks eliminated $4.1 million from their salary cap, a move Holmgren said his team needed to make. Ismail, who the Cowboys got through free agency last year, should be more effective with Galloway on the field. As for Irvin, his $3 million contract option was turned down by the Cowboys last week and he hasn't decided about his future. "The final decision by Michael and his family has not been made," Jones said. "We had to be ready to go to make this decision." The Irvin move was one of several the Cowboys made to get under the NFL's $62 million salary cap and have some versatility to sign a player of Galloway's caliber. The Cowboys also let go of linebacker Quentin Coryatt ($5.5 million) and offensive guard Everett McIver ($1.6 million). Galloway's deal included a $12.5 million signing bonus, about $2.2 million of which will apply to this year's salary cap. Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones said the Galloway signing will have no effect on what will happen to Pro Bowl cornerback Deion Sanders or the signing of any other player. The Cowboys are expected to void Sanders' contract on June 2, rather than pay his full $12.7 million salary in 2000. Sanders has even said that he doesn't expect to be back in Dallas next season.
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