updated 6:52 p.m. ET March 19, 2006

IRVING, Texas - Jerry Jones was finishing yet another explanation of why he believes Terrell Owens will be on his best behavior with the Dallas Cowboys when his new star receiver chimed in.

“Jerry, I know what’s expected of me,” Owens said. “I won’t let you down.”

The Cowboys sure hope so, especially since they didn’t get it in writing.

The receiver who has proven he can wreak havoc on or off the field signed a three-year, $25 million contract with Dallas on Saturday. The deal includes a $5 million bonus and $5 million salary this season, but no added penalties should Owens pull any of the stunts that caused so many problems for his two previous teams, the San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles.

His relationship with the Eagles soured only months after he led them to the Super Bowl, leading to a bitter breakup that ended with his release Tuesday.

“It’s more than his word, it’s about logic,” Jones said. “This is an opportunity for him to basically put it all together and come in here and have a very positive experience. ... Whoever got him after those two experiences was going to get a more knowledgeable and educated player.”

Agent Drew Rosenhaus said Jones never requested anything beyond a standard NFL contract. He may not have wanted to bring it up considering Rosenhaus said there were six other teams also aggressively seeking Owens.

“There was so much interest in Terrell, there was no reason to do anything but that kind of deal,” Rosenhaus said.

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After his windfall this season, Owens will get salaries of $8 million in 2007 and $7 million in 2008. All told, it’s a lot more than he would’ve made under the contract with Philadelphia that began his bad blood with the organization.

“All’s well that ends well,” Rosenhaus said. “He’s a big, big winner and so are the Dallas Cowboys.”

Jones said team officials began kicking around the idea of acquiring Owens in November, once it was apparent he wouldn’t be back with the Eagles. They interviewed his friends and enemies, then talked extensively to him before deciding he was a risk worth taking.

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“The more we looked, the more we became convinced he’d be a good fit,” team vice president Stephen Jones said.

There’s no questioning his talent — Owens has consistently put up numbers the Cowboys have lacked since Michael Irvin was in the prime of his career in the mid-1990s.

It’s his attitude that’s an issue. Owens has badmouthed his last two quarterbacks even though both were Pro Bowlers, squabbled with coaches and gotten angry at his bosses for not properly celebrating personal milestones, like his 100th career touchdown.

“I’m going in with my eyes wide open,” said his newest quarterback, Drew Bledsoe. “I know there have been some issues. But at the same time, going forward from here, I don’t see how it helps us to dwell on some of the stuff that’s gone on in the past.”

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Owens will join a locker room lacking veteran leaders who might be able to keep him in check. Captains Dan Campbell and Dat Nguyen already are gone, as is La’Roi Glover, another calming influence.

But Owens, who has been away from the team setting since November, vowed he won’t need any help getting along, saying he’s had plenty of time to think about the problems he’s caused.

“I’m going to put those things behind me,” Owens said. “They can only make a man stronger, wiser. For me, that’s what it’s done. I’ll be a better teammate, a better person, a better man in life.”

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