Pacman's back

Looks like another one of Jerry Jones' gambles is about to pay off.

The Dallas Cowboys are expected to receive word from the NFL later this afternoon that suspended cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones will be reinstated by league commissioner Roger Goodell for the 2008 regular season. The NFL has yet to make an official announcement as of now (2 p.m. EST), but a blog entry on the Cowboys' web site reported that the team has been informed of the decision.

While then a member of the Tennessee Titans, Pacman Jones sat out the entire 2007 campaign for repeated transgressions of the NFL's personal conduct policy, the most notable being an alleged involvement in a Las Vegas strip club shooting in February, 2007 that left a bouncer paralyzed. The Titans traded the talented but troubled former first-round pick to Dallas during this past April's draft in exchange for a fourth-round choice.

The standout corner/return man was allowed to participate in this year's preseason games and showed little rust from the layoff. He's expected to play a key role in nickel packages for a Dallas secondary that's shaping up as one of the deepest in the NFL, and should help the Cowboys immensely on punt returns as well. In his two eligible seasons with Tennessee, Jones took back four punts for touchdowns.

Assuming he continues to act on his best behavior, the soon-to-be 25-year-old stands a good chance of becoming the latest problem child to resurrect his career in Big D. The Cowboys brought in noted team-wrecker Terrell Owens during the 2006 offseason and have been rewarded with two straight outstanding seasons from the mercurial wide receiver, while ex-Chicago defensive tackle Tank Johnson was a steady contributor for the team last year after being signed shortly upon being cut loose by the Bears following a series of legal problems.