Is Javon Walker headed to Dallas?

by Matt Mosley
ESPN.com

We've been telling you about the Cowboys' interest in Broncos receiver Javon Walker for a couple of weeks. Now that he's been released by the Broncos, Dallas is free to pursue the enigmatic receiver.

As Todd Archer points out on my old blog, Walker's former position coach in Green Bay, Ray Sherman, serves in that same capacity for the Cowboys. Sherman has a close relationship with Walker, and he was one of the people who consoled him when Broncos cornerback and Fort Worth native Darrent Williams died in his arms following a shooting in downtown Denver on Jan. 1, 2007.

Walker has had two strong seasons (2004 and 2006), but he missed almost the entire 2005 season and a large portion of 2007 with a knee injury. I've talked to a couple of people who said he's never been able to recover from Williams' death. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is someone who believes that a change of scenery can have a tremendous impact on a player, as evidenced by Terrell Owens and Leonard Davis.

Don't underestimate Sherman's influence in Jones' decision-making. He gives him a lot of credit for T.O.'s success this past season.