CINCINNATI -- They met in the bowels of Paul Brown Stadium on a chilly February afternoon, a stern coach with an open mind and a desperate young man seeking a miracle. Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis knew all the notorious stories about cornerback Adam Jones before that day. Now, as Jones stood outside the team's locker room, Lewis was hearing the player better known as "Pacman" plead his case for the first time. Jones claimed all his past problems were behind him, that the troubled soul who'd been suspended twice by the NFL had grown up. Lewis listened intently, scanning Jones' body language for any inkling of insincerity.

Jones didn't sell himself with words that day. In fact, he was in such horrible shape that Lewis was cursing himself for agreeing to the tryout in the first place. Yet the coach did sense something that intrigued him about the player. So Lewis grudgingly told Jones to come back in six weeks for another look. If Jones couldn't deliver then, he'd better start considering other options.

It has been 2.5 years since Jones earned a spot on the Bengals and nobody -- least of all Lewis -- has been complaining about the marriage. That acquisition was the kind of move many other teams wouldn't have felt comfortable making. Every year there are at least a handful of players who fall into the Jones category, meaning their past problems make them serious risks for a potential team. And every year, franchises all around the NFL have to consider the same question the Bengals faced in 2010: How much baggage is too much?

Lewis acknowledged that it is a tough challenge to address. "Sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you," he said. This year there are a few high-profile acquisitions who have brought their own well-documented reputations to new franchises. None of their respective teams want to get bitten.

The San Francisco 49ers signed wide receiver Randy Moss despite the fact that he bounced among three teams in 2010 and couldn't find any serious interest before abruptly retiring last summer. Another controversial wide receiver, Terrell Owens, also spent last year out of the league before the Seattle Seahawks recently picked him up. In contrast, the Miami Dolphins just released wide receiver Chad Johnson following his arrest for domestic battery, while former New York Jets wide receiver Plaxico Burress -- who had several disciplinary issues with the Giants before spending 20 months in jail on a weapons charge -- has yet to find a new team. Even 33-year-old running back Travis Henry is looking for work after three years in prison and four out of football.

All of these players were seeking teams willing to place more faith in their potential than their checkered histories. That's never an easy decision for general managers and coaches to make. "At the end of the day, you're trying to minimize distractions in this game," said St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher. "Because those are the things that get you beat. If there is something going on with a player that might affect his focus, there's a good chance it is going to hurt your team."

"You have to take a person-to-person approach whenever you're in these situations," Lewis said. "My thing is that you've got 53 guys on your team and you want them all moving in the same direction. You can't have one person who is going to go against the tide. You have to know he's on board."

'Can the guy play?'

No franchise can predict how a risky player will impact its team. The Washington Redskins gave defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth a $100 million contract in 2009 -- despite concerns about his work ethic and temper -- and watched him produce two disappointing seasons before leaving town. On the other hand, the Philadelphia Eagles (who signed Pro Bowl quarterback Michael Vick in 2009 after he finished a 21-month prison sentence) and Minnesota Vikings (who traded for Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen in 2008, when the Kansas City Chiefs were concerned about his two DUI convictions) both hit it big with players saddled with baggage.

Talent was the major reason both players made their respective franchises believe in their potential. That factor tends to be hard to overlook for teams that want any competitive advantage. As Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez said, "I've been asked my opinions on risky players a lot during my [16-year] career. I won't lie: The first thing I usually say is, 'Can the guy play?'"

"A lot of these decisions really do come down to situations," said Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt. "If you really need a guy, it's easier to bring a player in. You can become a lot more accepting of some things when that's the case."

One of the biggest questions teams have to ask when considering a player with baggage is what the franchise can tolerate. Some are more concerned about whether a player will disrupt team chemistry. Other franchises won't even touch a player with too many legal run-ins. The current climate in the league -- where personal conduct violations can lead to lengthy suspensions -- makes it imperative that coaches and general managers know exactly what they're dealing with in regards to a player's maturity.

Some general managers, such as Arizona's Rod Graves, believe it's best to remain conservative with such players, saying, "You ultimately win with character." Others see things differently. "There are certain things that some teams find more tolerable," said one NFC executive. "They can deal with substance abuse because they can understand it. ... But brutal violence is what really makes people nervous. That's why the Michael Vick deal was so hard. People didn't know how to view it. The way the league is today, the value of a [risky] player really has to outweigh the attention that will come with having him."

Unlike college players who come into the league with character issues, veterans with baggage pose a different set of challenges to teams. When the Bengals decided to sign rookie free-agent linebacker Vontaze Burfict, whose reputation for undisciplined play had caused him to go undrafted, it cost the team only a $1,000 signing bonus. A veteran's price tag is going to run from the hundreds of thousands into the million-dollar range. The expense alone means there has to be greater concern about the risk.

Cincinnati's decision to sign Jones was an interesting gamble because his past was so sordid. He became the face of Goodell's personal conduct policy precisely because of his inability to act right. Jones had numerous legal run-ins while playing for the Tennessee Titans, and his involvement in a 2007 altercation at a Las Vegas strip club -- which led to three people being shot -- resulted in a one-year suspension. Jones also served a six-game suspension while playing for the Dallas Cowboys in 2008. At one point, the 2005 first-round pick...