Monday, July 22, 1996

Michael Irvin's fate with NFL expected soon

By Ed Werder
Dallas Morning News
(July 22, 1996)

AUSTIN, Texas - The misconduct of Dallas players is so pervasive that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones sometimes becomes confused about which player will be the next suspended from the NFL.

The current frontrunners are former No. 1 draft choices who violated the substance-abuse policy: wide receiver Michael Irvin and defensive lineman Shante Carver. NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue probably will decide Irvin's fate the first part of the week, while the appeals process could delay official confirmation of Carver's one-year suspension.

In his first public comment on Carver, Jones declined to confirm a forthcoming suspension that caused the player to abruptly leave the team during the weekend. He also refused to speculate on whether Carver has a future with the Cowboys.

But Jones conceded the team is preparing to play the season without him. "We're here at this time to put this team together for the year, and we're going to put it together with the plan right now of not having Shante," he said.

Carver and Irvin could become the fourth and fifth players from the 1995 world champion Cowboys to be suspended for substance abuse. The first week of training camp proved the frequency of these incidents - five since November - sometimes causes Jones confusion.

The league called Jones before the Friday afternoon practice to advise him Tagliabue would notify the team within hours about disciplinary action taken against a Cowboys player for violating the substance-abuse policy. Concluding the player would be Irvin, Jones told certain staff members to be prepared.

But the league instead notified the Cowboys that Carver would be suspended for one year without pay, pending his appeal, for multiple alcohol-related violations of the substance-abuse policy. Carver and agent Steve Baker could not be reached for comment Sunday.

In a prelude to a decision regarding Irvin and his no-contest plea to felony cocaine possession, the league sent his representatives a letter offering Irvin a meeting in New York with Tagliabue and suggesting he submit materials and information he might want considered before the league ruling.

"It is my impression the league wants to get to that real quickly," Jones said. "Our instincts tell us they want to get these issues resolved so the teams can do their planning for the season.

"But the league has not discussed with me anything relative to how they might treat Michael and his suspension - or whether there will be one."

Tagliabue has wide discretion and could allow Irvin to consider options. One such scenario: a four-game suspension conditional upon completion of a counseling program before returning to the Cowboys or a six- to eight-week suspension and report to training camp whenever he wants.

Four games is the norm for first-time violators. But Tagliabue can lengthen the suspension because Irvin is considered to have committed a drug-related violation of law. He also can be more punitive upon concluding Irvin's behavior represents conduct detrimental to the league.

The Cowboys have been using Deion Sanders and Kevin Williams as the starting wide receivers. In Sunday's Blue-White scrimmage, Williams caught a 65-yard touchdown pass from Troy Aikman on the first play. Sanders matched that on the second play.

Meanwhile, coach Barry Switzer's concerns about his defensive line depth increased. Defensive tackle Hurvin McCormack suffered a severely sprained left ankle, and third-round draft choice Mike Ulufale was hospitalized and scheduled for a brain scan and an MRI after suffering a neck injury.

"We're as thin as we can be right now," Switzer said. "I'm very concerned about the lack of depth."
Jones said the Cowboys would not pursue veteran defensive linemen at this time. The team made a conscious decision in the off-season not to depend upon Carver, choosing Kavika Pittman with their first draft choice and signing veteran linebacker Broderick Thomas because he is a skilled pass-rusher.

"I wouldn't want to say Kavika was drafted because Shante was suspect about being on the team," Jones said. "But we felt for a combination of reasons - not just about him playing this year - but we wanted to have another possibility to get a young Charles Haley."

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