PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : NFC : League to Watch Contract

NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue warned Wednesday that he would look skeptically at any contract offer to Deion Sanders that did not pay the star cornerback what the league would consider his market value.

Such action could affect Dallas owner Jerry Jones, who has suggested the endorsement possibilities presented by the Cowboys might be an incentive to sign with them instead of San Francisco.

“If a player is recognized by everyone to be a franchise player at his position and he got a contract that was 20% of the franchise salary, it would be questionable on the surface,” Tagliabue said.

He added that if that were the case, the league might charge the team’s salary cap with a franchise-player salary.

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The New York Giants waived backup quarterback Kent Graham and signed former St. Louis backup Tommy Maddox.

The move means that Stan White, who has never taken a snap in a regular-season NFL game, will back up Dave Brown while Maddox learns the system.

Leigh Steinberg, Maddox’s agent, said the Rams had hoped to re-sign him after restructuring his contract.

Instead, the Giants signed Maddox to a two-year contract that has a $400,000 signing bonus and base salaries of $250,000 this year and $750,000 in 1996.