The economy isn't all that great right now, but the smart investment money this summer in Oxnard might be in strip clubs.

After all, "Pacman" is coming.

OK, that might be somewhat lacking in taste, but let me explain.

The Dallas Cowboys, who will bring their training camp back to Oxnard one last time in 2008, have agreed to trade for Adam "Pacman" Jones, the Tennessee Titans' suspended cornerback.

Jones will bring more baggage with him to Oxnard than the rest of the Cowboys put together.

Pacman was suspended for the entire 2007 season and remains inactive to this day quite simply because he refuses to stay out of trouble.

Jones has been arrested six times and has been involved in 12 incidents requiring police action since being the top defensive player taken in the 2005 draft.

Commissioner Roger Goodell decided he'd had enough and took Pacman out of action for the entire season. There's no guarantee he'll be activated for the 2008 season.

Dallas owner Jerry Jones knows his defense could benefit from a player like Pacman. No one doubts his ability to play. It's just not sure when or if he'll get to do it again.

The cost for the Cowboys isn't all that high: no more than a fourth-rounder in this weekend's draft and a sixth-rounder in 2009. And there's some insurance: The Cowboys would get the '09 pick back if Jones isn't reinstated, and they're said to be giving him a non-guaranteed contract in case they need to cut their ties with him quickly.

But is it still worth the risk Jones brings to any team he joins? No.

Jones' biggest problem is he just won't stay out of places — such as strip clubs — that can get him in trouble.

Goodell originally allowed Pacman to work out at the Titans facility during his suspension. But it was revoked in January after he was accused of punching a woman in the face at an Atlanta strip club. The charges were later dropped.

"It was inconsistent with what he told me he was going to do and how he was going to conduct himself," Goodell told The Associated Press.

Adding Pacman Jones to the Cowboys makes bad football sense because they don't know if they can rely on him. And it makes bad public relations sense because it sends a bad message to fans.

But all signs point to him coming to the Cowboys this summer.

Let's hope Oxnard is ready.

— Jim Carlisle is a staff writer for The Star. E-mail address: jcarlisle@VenturaCountyStar.com.