Galloway

ESPN The Magazine's John Clayton reported Friday night that Galloway's new agent, Leigh Steinberg, said the Seahawks will trade Galloway to the Cowboys, who have agreed on a revised seven-year, $42 million contract with the five-year NFL veteran.

A news conference announcing the deal will be held Saturday in Dallas. Steinberg said he expected Galloway to be on hand.

Steinberg, hired by Galloway earlier Friday, negotiated the deal, which includes a $12.5 million signing bonus. An earlier version of the deal, negotiated by Galloway's former agent, Eric Metz, had a signing bonus worth $12 million.

In exchange for the rights to Galloway, the Cowboys will give the Seahawks a number of draft picks, including the 19th pick in the 2000 first round.

Although Galloway is technically considered a free agent, he was limited by his status as the Seahawks' exclusive-rights franchise player. In order to play for the Cowboys next year, Galloway had to be traded to Dallas.

Because Galloway fell into the "exclusive-rights" category, he could not sign a standard offer sheet with another team. It was therefore up to the Seahawks and Cowboys to work out the terms of the trade.

The Seahawks designated Galloway as a franchise player on Thursday after the veteran wide receiver won his free-agency case against the team.

Galloway was declared an unrestricted free agent by arbitrator Nick Pumas in Washington, D.C.

His status was in dispute because the Seahawks and the NFL Management Council felt he did not fulfill the final season of the five-year contract with Seattle that he signed as a rookie.

Galloway missed four exhibition games and the first eight regular-season games of the Seahawks' season.

The NFL Players Association objected to the NFL Management Council's decision and the two sides agreed to settle the dispute in arbitration.

"We're obviously very pleased about the decision," said Richard Berthelsen, the NFLPA's general counsel. "This is really good news for Joey as well. At the very least Joey will have a contract guaranteed from the Seahawks."

Berthelsen said the decision by Pumas was the just one because Galloway played out his contract with the Seahawks.

"Thirty out of 31 general managers in the league would have said there was no way they (the Seahawks) could do this," he said in a telephone conference call.

Galloway was a disappointment after he returned to the Seahawks. Under new general manager-coach Mike Holmgren, the Seahawks made it to the playoffs for the first time since 1988, but Galloway caught one pass for 22 yards in his team's 20-17 opening round loss to Miami in the Kingdome.

In eight regular season games, he had 22 receptions for 335 yards and a touchdown.

In 1998, Galloway had his third 1,000-yard season, making 65 catches for 1,047 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Galloway, the eighth overall selection by the Seahawks in the 1995 draft, held out this season despite being under contract. He rejected Seattle's offer of a $35 million contract for seven years, an offer Holmgren finally took off the table.

His holdout cost him $837,117.