At a time when Cowboys cornerback Pacman Jones begins the effort to get himself back onto the field, if only as a participant in offseason workouts, it appears that it will take more than a phone call or a candygram to make it happen.

According to Ed Werder of ESPN, a face-to-face meeting must occur before Jones and Commissioner Roger Goodell before Jones will be permitted to practice with his new team.

The Cowboys have not yet filed a request for Jones’ reinstatement, but they have communicated privately with the league regarding their desire to begin to realize a return on their investment in the No. 6 overall pick in the 2005 draft.

But we think that Jones and the Cowboys would be wise to let the Commissioner make up his own mind in his own time.  If either party pushes too hard for an answer, they’re likely to get an answer they won’t like.

The real question regarding Jones’ status is, in our assessment, whether Jones told Goodell a different story last year than the story that recently emerged regarding the accidental hit that Jones supposedly ordered outside that strip club in Las Vegas.

We’ve got a feeling that Jones sang a different song to Goodell, and that these two different versions of the truth could extent Jones’ exile from the NFL to two years, if not longer.