IRVING – It took awhile, but cornerback Pete Hunter is going to get his
wish to play for another team.
The Cowboys traded the disgruntled cornerback to the New York Jets on
Thursday for a conditional sixth-round draft choice in 2006 that could
improve to a fifth-round pick in 2007 if Hunter meets certain incentives.
"We have three proven players at cornerback, and when you get down to
your fourth and fifth cornerbacks, you usually want someone who is a
little more on the come than Pete was," Cowboys vice president Stephen
Jones said. "Pete is in the last year of his contract, and now he's got
a new chance with a new team. It was the best move for the organization."
Hunter, who flew to New York on Wednesday, met with Jets officials
Thursday morning and passed a physical exam.
With Hunter gone, Lance Frazier, Jacques Reeves, Nate Jones, Bruce
Thornton and Lenny Williams will be competing for the playing time that
Hunter would have received.
Hunter, a native of Atlantic City, N.J., was a fifth-round selection of
the Cowboys in 2002. He won the starting job in training camp last
season after Mario Edwards signed a free-agent deal with Tampa Bay.
Hunter suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the third game
against Washington and did not play again.
Hunter became upset with the Cowboys in March, when they signed
free-agent cornerback Anthony Henry and gave him a $10 million signing
bonus. The Cowboys wanted Hunter to consider moving to free safety,
where he could compete for a starting job, but he balked.
Hunter, a restricted free agent, didn't get any nibbles in free agency
and signed a one-year tender with the Cowboys for the minimum salary of
$655,000. He participated in the club's off-season program and its
three-day minicamp.
Signing update: With the Cowboys scheduled to fly to Oxnard,
Calif., for training camp on July 28, the team is in the beginning
stages of signing its eight draft picks.
The Cowboys called the agents for several players Thursday and will
begin negotiations soon. Because the collective bargaining agreement
between the NFL and the NFLPA has not been extended, signing bonuses can
be prorated only five years, which could lead to more protracted talks.
The Cowboys, who have a $4.9 million rookie pool, have two first-round
picks in Demarcus Ware and Marcus Spears. "I'd actually say, that even
though we have two No. 1s to sign, the fact is they're not in the top 10
like they have been in the past with Roy [Williams] and Terence
[Newman]," Stephen Jones said.
"As you go down the line there pretty quickly, the contracts aren't near
as complicated and sophisticated from our experience as if you were in
the top 10."
Staff Writer Chuck Carlton contributed to this report.
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