IRVING – If the Cowboys' young running backs hadn't already noticed Emmitt Smith at practice Saturday, position coach Skip Peete made sure they knew the NFL's all-time leading rusher was watching.

"It still didn't hit me until he came over and talked to me," said first-round pick Felix Jones, the most well-known member of the group.

Smith showed Jones how to give linebackers a smaller area to grab when running pass routes.

"Can you imagine, three or four days ago, you're sitting home, and now here you are with the star on your helmet, and Emmitt Smith is offering you suggestions as to how to help your game?" owner and general manager Jerry Jones said. "That's got to be a thrill and got to give them incentive to work hard."

Smith said he favored the selection of Arkansas-ex Jones over Rashard Mendenhall, the former Illinois star who went a pick later to Pittsburgh.

"They ran similar offenses, but watching them in traffic and cutting ability, I think Mendenhall is a very good back, I just think Felix has a lot more hip movement," Smith said. "And he reads and cuts in a fluid manner."

■ Physical on hold: Jerry Jones said suspended cornerback Pacman Jones will not undergo a physical until the team has a better handle on reinstatement plans.

The Cowboys would like for Jones to be able to work out at their facility much the way defensive tackle Tank Johnson did last season before he was reinstated. Commissioner Roger Goodell has said he will make a reinstatement decision before training camp.

■ QB hoping to stay: Jeff Terrell spent the weekend with the Cowboys on a tryout basis so reserve quarterback Richard Bartel would not get overworked, but Terrell is aiming to make an impression and stick around longer.

Terrell attended the same high school (University School in suburban Cleveland) and college (Princeton) as offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. Garrett's older brother, Jim, was Terrell's high school coach.

"He's kind of inspiration, because he's shown you can be play in the league coming from Princeton," said Terrell, who was in the Chiefs' training camp last year.

■ Briefly: Former Cowboys coach Barry Switzer and ex-Oklahoma running back Greg Pruitt attended practice Saturday.

Switzer spoke with secondary coach Dave Campo and offensive line coach Hudson Houck, who were on his staff in the 1990s, as well as head coach Wade Phillips.

Switzer joked that Jerry Jones offered him a job, "But four years of his [expletive] was enough," Switzer said. "I miss it. It was a lot of fun with those guys."

All of the rookies except punter Jay Ottavegio and receiver Mark Bradford, both of Stanford, and Maryland running back Keon Lattimore are expected back at Valley Ranch on May 20 for the beginning of organized team activities. Ottavegio, Bradford and Lattimore can return once they graduate from school.

Staff writers Calvin Watkins and Albert Breer contributed to this report.