We’ve been calling for this for a while, and it appears Jerry Jones has finally listened.
The most destructive force in the NFL, otherwise known as T.O., was shown the door yesterday as the Cowboys’ brass finally came to the realization that they’d never win a championship with Owens as a part of the team.
And the reason for this is the words “Owens” and “team” don’t go in the same sentence.
Rumors of this move began to echo shortly after the Cowboys were ousted by Philadelphia in Week 17 to conclude an underachieving season in which the preseason Super Bowl favorites failed to make the playoffs.
But the move wasn’t one that didn’t require a great deal of thought and money.
By cutting him just one year into his four year, $34M extension, the Boys are forced to eat $9M against the cap in ’09, and that’s a pretty penny for a team (and owner) to absorb, regardless of the billions Jones earned in the oil business.
But now the Cowboys can take a real step forward to becoming a team and not a group of high priced stars who can’t coexist as a unit.
Owens had an overwhelmingly decisive effect on team chemistry and the locker room and this has been something he’s been unable to shake since he emerged from Rice’s shadow to become T.O. in ’98.
So where does the enigma go next?
As of last night, only two teams said they would have interest in the 35-year-old receiver. And then that number dwindled down to one as the Titans withdrew their name from consideration today.
But earlier today, his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said that Owens would have a team by next week.
We’ll see if the Raiders, whom I presume he meant by team, move that quickly, because that’s probably the only real destination for the embattled receiver.
Could others use the “take him for one year” train of thought and justify picking him up?
Sure.
But I can’t see a winning organization taking on his personality, which has already worn out his welcome in two of the highest profile franchises in the NFL.
And he had it good in both. But as usual, he blew it.
If someone else does land him, they’ll probably figure they can get a very talented, albeit aging receiver for far under market value and hope that he can put them over the top.
But that’s all wishful thinking.
Owens will never be a winner, because in football, you win as a team and lose as individuals.
And T.O. is an individual in every sense of the word.
Mr. 49er
March 10th, 2009 at 13:06
Return to top
This is the biggest piece of crap article I have ever read, finishing just in front of the article about the giants being the “big” winners of free agency. It is so easy to pour it on TO, but why? Is it because he is one of the greatest receivers to ever play the game? Is it because he has a personality and can not only talk the talk, but walk the walk? Why is TO the scapegoat in every situation he has been in? Look at the end of his run in San Fran. He took that team from Jerry Rice and made it his own, and when we the niners were supposed to be rebuilding in 2001 and 2002, they went to the playoffs both years, only to have Marriucci put his tail between his legs and jog off the field in the embarrassing playoff loss to the bucs. Then Erickson comes in, and he is garbage and turns a 10-6 playoff team into a 7-9 team. How is that Owens fault? He made that offense work. Not Eric Johnson. Not J.J. Stokes. Not Kevan Barlow. And not Jeff Garcia. Then Owens is shipped off to Philly, to play with the most overrated quarterback in the history of the game. I have been calling McStink that for a long time, and I have been right. McStink put up his greatest year ever with Owens, and Owens, not McStink, led them into the Super Bowl. And if it wasn’t for that choke-artist of a qb puking in the huddle and running a 2 minute drill like it was the first quarter, they might have won that game. And lets not forget, Owens was playing on a broken ankle. An injury that was supposed to take 10 weeks to heal, Owens was back on the field in 8 weeks putting up a monster game against a great NE defense. McStink chokes, yet we blame Owens. And on to Dallas. Americas team. What a joke that franchise is. Owens puts up huge numbers, cannot be covered, yet we are wasting our time throwing the ball to Patrick Crayton and Jason Witten? Witten is a very good player, but OWENS opens up that offense. And speaking of Witten, that was a hell of a pattern he ran against Pittsburgh when he ate crap on his button hook and Tony Ohno threw the pick six to lose the game. And who was coaching that team? Yeah, no team will ever win with Wade Phillips as coach. The bottom line is Terrell Owens is the best receiver of this generation, and arguably second all time to Jerry Rice. On the field, Owens gives 110%, and is a man among boys. You want to rip Owens, but I say we rip the guys that are the real losers of football, like the guys hitting traffic cops (R. Moss), shooting guys outside their bars (M.Harrison), hit and runs (M.Lynch), turning their backs on their teams and shooting themselves in the leg (P. Burress), D.U.I. (too many to mention), and the steroid cheaters (S.Merriman.). It is very easy to blame Terrell Owens for what has happened at the places he has been, but he has a lot of passion for this game, and he demands the most from himself AND his teammates. He has made everyone of the qbs and teams better that he has been on, and he will do the same for Buffalo, because nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills!