For the first 13 years of his career, a road contest against the Arizona Cardinals was almost like a home game for Emmitt Smith. In his 14th NFL campaign, a matchup at Sun Devil Stadium will be a home game for the leading rusher in league history.

		Wed, March 26 Emmitt Smith will bring some instant credibility and leadership to the Arizona franchise. I know Cardinals coach Dave McGinnis well, and he is trying to bring people in who know how to win championships. Emmitt still has a little gas left in the tank, but he will also he able to help the Cardinals learn the proper way to go about getting to the Super Bowl. He will help McGinnis instill good habits on that team as a leader on the field and in the locker room. Football-wise, Emmitt is not going to give them 30 carries per game, but he can still bring consistency and accountability. There is enough left in him that if he is managed correctly he can contribute and be productive throughout the entire games, giving them something like 15-20 good carries over four quarters.

ESPN.com has learned through league sources that Smith, released by the Dallas Cowboys four weeks ago, has reached agreement in principle with the Cardinals on all major football aspects of a contract. There remain some marketing issues to still be addressed but both sides acknowledged that those elements of the deal are close to completion.

Smith will wear the same No. 22 he wore with the Cowboys.

"Emmitt will start,'' coach Dave McGinnis said, adding that he will also help break in Marcel Shipp, who led the Cardinals in rushing last season in his second year.

The deal is believed to be worth $7-8 million over two years.

Smith contributed to the Cardinals' woes over the years. He scored 25 career touchdowns against them, his highest total versus an opponent.

Overall, Smith ranks No. 1 in NFL history with 153 rushing TDs.

The team planned to introduce Smith at its headquarters in Tempe on Thursday.

"The (football) side of things is finished," said one source. "The other stuff is all part of the contract and that will be completed shortly."

Smith, 33, visited with Cardinals officials two weeks ago and, at this point, Arizona appears the only opportunity available to him as a starter.

"I've always been very confident in my abilities,'' Smith said right after being released by Dallas. "I think I'm a 1,300-yard back, and I will be out to prove that.

"I am not a guy that is afraid of competition. I walk up and face it full throttle. I will help someone's organization get to the Super Bowl, get back to the Super Bowl or win the Super Bowl.''

Dallas owner Jerry Jones told ESPN's Chris Mortensen he is "not surprised" by Smith's decision.

"I think it's a pretty good opportunity for him," Jones said. "But to me, he'll always have that star on the side of his helmet."

If nothing else, Smith should help boost attendance -- the Cardinals have rarely sold out since moving from St. Louis after the 1987 season. And when they have, it often was against Dallas, which still retains a solid fan base that existed before the Cardinals arrived.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.