Chuck 54
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Well, it certainly looks like no one should actually be surprised whether TO is still on the team in '09 or if he's on the street. When there's this much smoke, there is some truth in there, and the Cowboys ARE seriously considering their options regarding Terrell Owens...or at least some who work for the Cowboys front office and coaching staff are, whether Jerry is or not is still to be determined.
Here are some things to be considered:
1. There is absolutely no doubt by any sane observer that TO is still, or at least was this past season, the most talented WR who had the biggest impact on the field for the Cowboys.
2. Besides Witten, he may have even been arguably the best offensive player on the team...that's debatable, but it's easy to make an argument that Romo had a bad year, that the other WRs were basically no-shows, and that the RB position, while it proved to have depth, did not produce a playmaker over a 16 game schedule, so maybe TO was among our top 2-3 players.
3. Terrell Owens is, has been, and always will be a pain in the @$$...like him or love him, this cannot be debated. I'm not calling him a cancer or a team wrecker or a coach killer or a QB destroyer....he's none of those. By all accounts, he's a hard worker in practice and in the class, unlike guys like Plaxico Burress. He doesn't break the law or get arrested and probably doesn't use any drugs unless they are prescribed by a psycho analist. But he's still a distraction, whether it's by his own actions or simply the media witch-hunting him for past offenses, he's a pain in the rear.
4. Roy Williams (11) SUCKED....I didn't say he sucks, but he was an invisible man for the Cowboys. I'm sure many, like myself, blame it on injury, being new, etc., and we hope he is the potential star #1 receiver we traded draft picks for and resigned...........but we haven't seen it yet.
So what's an owner/gm to do?
I'm not saying I favor TO being jettisoned. I don't think the worst things he's done the past two years with Dallas even come close to his real past with SF and Philly, and his position in our offense makes it worth that to me....as long as it doesn't escalate (I'd actually like to see fewer tears, fewer articles, less espn exposure and rumor...frankly, less of TO altogether except on game day would be my fantasy). But I also admit that I don't really know whether the TO crap the media talks about really goes on in the locker room and behind the scenes or not. I don't really know if there's a divide between him and Garrett and probably other coaches. Maybe....Maybe not.
However, I do think we have time and the resources to release him if that's what the powers want to do, and I do think the team will be okay.
1. I truly believe that a #1 WR who can get the job done in Detroit with crap for a team and less for QB (Roy-Boy) can be a big time player, maybe never the star TO has been in his prime, but certainly a chain-moving, red-zone scoring terror a notch above Keyshaun Johnson on his best day. Roy will have a training camp; he won't be taking a back seat to TO and making sure he doesn't step on toes; and he'll be healthy, which he wasn't this year.
2. Patrick Crayton basically sucks and is stealing Jerry's money; One can only hope that he might return to the game he played just well-enough to get that contract, but I expect nothing more than that...he's a #3 at best...period.
3. I want to see more, more, more of Miles Austin. If he can stay healthy, this may be his breakout year, and he may win the #2 WR position regardless of what else we do in FA or the draft.
4. Hurd, Stanback, etc....not even worth talking about until they actually show something like Austin has. Frankly, one or both may not get another year to do so.
5. We can sign a veteran #2 type in FA...that's not a huge expense....finding those #1 guys is the bear.
6. We can still look to draft a WR in round 2 or 3. This year's draft may be one that sees plenty of talented guys with experience dropping into rounds 2-3...not to mention the fact that we could easily package 2-3 picks to move into the bottom of round 1...again, we don't need the star blue-chippers like Crabtree and Macklin...there are going to be very talented guys who have the potential of stepping right in and playing at the #2 or #3 spot.
Bottom Line: If we decide to cut TO, the cupboard isn't nearly as bare as it was a few seasons ago, and we have plenty of time to do something about the position in FA and the draft. Terrell has a bonus day coming up soon. If we're going to cut him, it will be before that...we'll save the money and put our house in order, both in the locker room and in our offseason strategy.
If we keep him past the bonus day, it's a no-brainer...he'll be a Cowboy for one more season.
I can live with it either way.
Other opinions on what it would mean talent wise?
Here are some things to be considered:
1. There is absolutely no doubt by any sane observer that TO is still, or at least was this past season, the most talented WR who had the biggest impact on the field for the Cowboys.
2. Besides Witten, he may have even been arguably the best offensive player on the team...that's debatable, but it's easy to make an argument that Romo had a bad year, that the other WRs were basically no-shows, and that the RB position, while it proved to have depth, did not produce a playmaker over a 16 game schedule, so maybe TO was among our top 2-3 players.
3. Terrell Owens is, has been, and always will be a pain in the @$$...like him or love him, this cannot be debated. I'm not calling him a cancer or a team wrecker or a coach killer or a QB destroyer....he's none of those. By all accounts, he's a hard worker in practice and in the class, unlike guys like Plaxico Burress. He doesn't break the law or get arrested and probably doesn't use any drugs unless they are prescribed by a psycho analist. But he's still a distraction, whether it's by his own actions or simply the media witch-hunting him for past offenses, he's a pain in the rear.
4. Roy Williams (11) SUCKED....I didn't say he sucks, but he was an invisible man for the Cowboys. I'm sure many, like myself, blame it on injury, being new, etc., and we hope he is the potential star #1 receiver we traded draft picks for and resigned...........but we haven't seen it yet.
So what's an owner/gm to do?
I'm not saying I favor TO being jettisoned. I don't think the worst things he's done the past two years with Dallas even come close to his real past with SF and Philly, and his position in our offense makes it worth that to me....as long as it doesn't escalate (I'd actually like to see fewer tears, fewer articles, less espn exposure and rumor...frankly, less of TO altogether except on game day would be my fantasy). But I also admit that I don't really know whether the TO crap the media talks about really goes on in the locker room and behind the scenes or not. I don't really know if there's a divide between him and Garrett and probably other coaches. Maybe....Maybe not.
However, I do think we have time and the resources to release him if that's what the powers want to do, and I do think the team will be okay.
1. I truly believe that a #1 WR who can get the job done in Detroit with crap for a team and less for QB (Roy-Boy) can be a big time player, maybe never the star TO has been in his prime, but certainly a chain-moving, red-zone scoring terror a notch above Keyshaun Johnson on his best day. Roy will have a training camp; he won't be taking a back seat to TO and making sure he doesn't step on toes; and he'll be healthy, which he wasn't this year.
2. Patrick Crayton basically sucks and is stealing Jerry's money; One can only hope that he might return to the game he played just well-enough to get that contract, but I expect nothing more than that...he's a #3 at best...period.
3. I want to see more, more, more of Miles Austin. If he can stay healthy, this may be his breakout year, and he may win the #2 WR position regardless of what else we do in FA or the draft.
4. Hurd, Stanback, etc....not even worth talking about until they actually show something like Austin has. Frankly, one or both may not get another year to do so.
5. We can sign a veteran #2 type in FA...that's not a huge expense....finding those #1 guys is the bear.
6. We can still look to draft a WR in round 2 or 3. This year's draft may be one that sees plenty of talented guys with experience dropping into rounds 2-3...not to mention the fact that we could easily package 2-3 picks to move into the bottom of round 1...again, we don't need the star blue-chippers like Crabtree and Macklin...there are going to be very talented guys who have the potential of stepping right in and playing at the #2 or #3 spot.
Bottom Line: If we decide to cut TO, the cupboard isn't nearly as bare as it was a few seasons ago, and we have plenty of time to do something about the position in FA and the draft. Terrell has a bonus day coming up soon. If we're going to cut him, it will be before that...we'll save the money and put our house in order, both in the locker room and in our offseason strategy.
If we keep him past the bonus day, it's a no-brainer...he'll be a Cowboy for one more season.
I can live with it either way.
Other opinions on what it would mean talent wise?
