GRAPEVINE – Former Cowboys fullback Daryl Johnston knows the dynastic 1990s Dallas teams were hardly off-field role models.

But Johnston, an analyst at Fox, feels today's Cowboys could learn from the past.

Several Cowboys have said recently it isn't their job to "babysit" guys such as Pacman Jones. That's not Johnston's exact thinking.

"With Michael Irvin, I think we all tend to think we didn't step in soon enough," Johnston said. "We waited until it impacted all of us as a team. We should have seen the potential for that type of behavior to impact the team in a negative way before it became that."

That said Johnston understands why the club acquired Jones.

No money is guaranteed and the traded draft pick is recouped if Jones is suspended. Johnston says Jones offers better reward than Tank Johnson, who signed with the Cowboys last year. Johnston was critical of that move.

"At that time, it was 'Is it worth the risk? Do you really feel like you're a defensive lineman away from winning the Super Bowl?' " Johnston said of the Johnson deal. "With Pacman, it's kind of a different situation with what he can do at the corner position and what options he would open with him in the defense, and his ability as a return man. It's much more tempting than the Tank Johnson deal was, but I think there's a little more risk too."

Johnston feels Jones could allow the defensive coaches to be more aggressiveand he could give the offense good field position with his return ability.

Johnston also approves of the Jones deal because he's heard the Cowboys have a a strong locker room that could give the cornerback the help Irvin may not have gotten.

"With a DeMarcus Ware, with Bradie James, the guys that are in that locker room hold everybody accountable," Johnston said. "And that's a critical element. You can have the best intentions from ownership to coaching staff. But if your players aren't policed in the locker room, then you have potential for something bad to happen."