PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : NFC : Smith: There’s Too Much Sanders Talk in Dallas

While owner Jerry Jones worked to sign Deion Sanders, at least one player said he was getting tired of hearing about it.

“I’ll be happy when we get all of the Deion questions out of the way,” said running back Emmitt Smith. “It could be a distraction for this team. Every week it’s Deion this and the 49ers that. We’re playing games and everybody wants to talk about Deion and not the games. We have all this Deion talk all the damn time.”

Jones said Wednesday the Cowboys hadn’t closed the deal with Sanders but were close.

The Cowboys have prepared a five-year package that includes a $10-million signing bonus, and Carmen Policy, the 49er president, said he regards San Francisco as an underdog to Dallas in the pursuit of Sanders.

The Denver Broncos also have been in daily contact with Sanders’ agent, Eugene Parker, and consider themselves in the race.

*

Fullback Derrick Ned and linebacker John Johnson, both among the New Orleans Saints’ final preseason cuts, were re-signed. . . . The Carolina Panthers waived 6-foot-9, 350-pound offensive lineman Kevin Farkas.