Believe It or Not, Jones Saved Money Paying Aikman $50 Million

Before anybody thinks Dallas Owner Jerry Jones is out of his mind for giving Troy Aikman an eight-year, $50-million contract, think again. The way my calculator figures it, Aikman could have cost Jones $57 million (and change) to remain as the Cowboys’ quarterback through the year 2000.

Here’s how:

If Aikman’s contract had not been extended last week, Aikman would have been tagged as the Cowboys’ franchise player under the new labor agreement when he was scheduled to become a free agent in 1995.

Under the rules of the labor deal, Aikman would have been paid a salary in ’95 that was an average of the top five quarterback salaries in the NFL. A conservative estimate of this figure is $4.5 million.

From that point on, Aikman would have received automatic 30% annual increases in salary.

Those raises (rounded off): $4.5 million to $5.8 million in ‘96, $7.6 million in ‘97, $9.9 million in ‘98, $12.85 million in ’99 and $16.7 million in 2000.

Clearly, Aikman’s agent, Leigh Steinberg, was able to articulate these calculations to Jones, who understood the dynamics of the situation. It made sense for both sides. Jones secured his quarterback for the decade and saves his franchise designation. Aikman gets a well-deserved raise and deposits a record $11-million signing bonus.

So, $50 million isn’t so outrageous.

If only Jones can get his players to understand this as they prepare for their National Football Conference East title showdown with the Giants on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J. There had to be concern that the Aikman deal would set off a chain reaction in the ranks.

For instance, one must wonder if Emmitt Smith truly can set aside the bitterness of his contract negotiations, which ended in the third week when Smith signed a four-year, $14-million deal. Smith honored his previous contract. The chances of Smith remaining content for the duration of this deal seems slim.

It’s also a fair guess that Michael Irvin, who makes $1.25 million, has begun planning his training-camp holdout next summer. And Ken Norton and Daryl Johnston, probably the two most underrated players on the NFL’s best team, are learning to say “free agent’ without hesitation.

Norton and Johnston both passed opportunities to extend their contracts by last Thursday’s deadline to avoid the salary-cap crunch.

The Cowboys can ill afford to lose either player. Norton is the cornerstone of the defense and Johnston has become the league’s best fullback. Johnston remains bitter about his negotiations last summer that ended in a one-year deal for $750,000.

Jones did succeed in extending the contract of right tackle Erik Williams, who has developed into one of the league’s best offensive linemen. But there are several other potential free agents in the offensive line, including guards Nate Newton and John Gesek. Jimmy Johnson’s job doesn’t get easier.

THE CAROLINA PANTHERS will talk with Florida Coach Steve Spurrier after his Sugar Bowl date with West Virginia. Although Spurrier always has left the impression that he is too comfortable to leave Florida, there are some league executives who believe Carolina has an excellent shot to land him. It’s going to be costly -- at least $1.5 million per year -- but the Panthers apparently are going to give him a hard sell.

Where does that leave former Washington Redskins Coach Joe Gibbs?

Gibbs returned from a ski vacation last week with determination that he should be free to coach. He prefers the Carolina job, but Redskins Owner Jack Kent Cooke has blocked access, claiming Gibbs owes him two years on his contract. Cooke wants Gibbs to come to the owner with a “pretty please” approach; Gibbs has told friends he won’t do it.

If Gibbs ever does get the opportunity to talk with Carolina, he will have to address the chief concerns of General Manager Mike McCormack, who wonders whether Gibbs was indeed “burned out” when he resigned after last season. McCormack is reluctant to fight for Gibbs because he is afraid Gibbs may burn out again in three years.

This is absurd. Gibbs has admitted he “overdid it” in his final year, but there were several factors involved in his resignation. One of them was his desire to watch his son, Coy, play his final two seasons at Stanford, and that factor shouldn’t be underestimated.

Gibbs, 53, may get shut out of the Carolina job if Spurrier takes the leap from college.

THE ROOKIE of the year? It’s Rick Mirer of Seattle. Even with Rams running back Jerome Bettis still in the chase for a rushing title, Mirer gets the nod. Here are the reasons:

Mirer is a quarterback who has made every start. He has missed only a few snaps because of injuries, toughing it out when other quarterbacks would have sat.

He has set NFL rookie records for completions and passing yardage and has rushed for more than 300 yards, best among AFC quarterbacks.

Most of all, he has made the Seahawks a better team. The Seahawks won two games a year ago. Last Sunday, they won their sixth, an upset victory over Pittsburgh.

As good as Bettis is, the Rams (4-11) will finish worse than last season, when they were 6-10.

BECAUSE THERE HAVE been occasional shots fired his way, it’s only right to acknowledge that Tampa Bay Coach Sam Wyche has done a pretty good job of turning things around.

The Bucs have suffered their 11th consecutive season of double-digit defeats, but their 17-10 victory over the Broncos last Sunday at Denver’s Mile High Stadium is one of several impressive second-half showings, not all of which ended in triumph.

By the way, it’s no coincidence that the offense has been considerably better since the late signing of left tackle Paul Gruber, who has been dominating. Gruber has provided protection for quarterback Craig Erickson, who is starting to develop under Wyche and quarterbacks coach Turk Schonert.

The Bucs ... getting respect?