As an owner in the National Football League, Dallas Cowboys' Jerry Jones has every right to pursue whomever he wants.

But does he always have to go for the malcontents?

It's apparent that Jones is slowly becoming the new Al Davis.

Davis, the longtime Oakland Raiders/Los Angeles Raiders/Oakland Raiders owner, has a reputation of taking problem cases.

I'm sure Davis believed he was doing the players a favor, a chance to right their wrongs of the past, but Jones is slowly becoming that owner.

He took Terrell Owens, a gifted but childish wide receiver. While he did pay dividends last year, he was a distraction in his first year, one coach Bill Parcells could have lived without.

With Parcells gone and Wade Phillips in, Owens was a better teammate and even defended quarterback Tony Romo's play down the stretch with a tearful plea after a playoff loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

Dallas averaged more than 30 points a game the first 13 games of the season, but just over 12 points after that.

Still, T.O. is a time bomb waiting to happen, most likely this year.

Now, Jones is looking to a few more talented players, but ones with some baggage.

First, the not-so-risky wide receiver Chad Johnson, who has grown weary of the Cincinnati Bengals. Johnson, like Owens, is a playmaker and has never been a problem off the field.

His on-the-field antics have been a small headache for the NFL — the premeditated dances, the "Ocho Cinco" name on the back of the jersey — but he's a talented receiver whose personality is more like an annoying baby brother.

There's been talk that Dallas wants to improve its offense by adding Johnson to the receiving corps.

That's just perfect — T.O and Chad Johnson vying for balls from Tony Romo. I'm surprised Jones didn't make a push for Randy Moss, who didn't pursue free agency seriously and decided to re-up with the New England Patriots.

Worse yet, Jones is trying to orchestrate a trade with the Tennessee Titans to land defensive back Adam "Pacman" Jones.

Jones drooled when he was able to land Parcells, who made the Cowboys competitive for four years, including a playoff berth, but couldn't get them over the hump.

Parcells hated the distractions and just wanted out. T.O. helped in that regard.

With the laid-back Phillips, Dallas opened the season at 12-1 but fizzled down the stretch after clinching the division as well as a playoff berth and a first-round bye.

Now, the thought of Jones adding Jones is all they need. Six arrests in less than three years and he's still suspended by the league.

Who knows how long commissioner Roger Goodell will make him wait?

Pacman, that is, but the same could be said for Jerry. It seems like he'll pull the trigger on a deal despite not knowing when he may get him.

What kind of player does that make Jones? Worse yet, what kind of owner does that make Jones?

Sam Tallarico is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.