Jerry Jones insists chemistry issues didn't lead to cutting T.O.
5:23 PM Thu, Mar 05, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon E-mail News tips
In an interview with NFL Network, Jerry Jones insisted that chemistry didn't have anything to do with the Cowboys' decision to cut T.O.
"I look at this as more of a strategic move relative to personnel for the Dallas Cowboys than I do something wrong with Terrell Owens," Jerry said with a straight face.
Jerry painted T.O. as a team guy. Jason Garrett, Tony Romo and Jason Witten might not agree.
"He met every expectation that I personally had and that we expected of him," Jerry said. "Not one time have I ever asked Terrell to do something for our organization, for our team, that he didn't do. From that standpoint, I regret that we came to the decision that we did. But, still, our organization is going to move on without Terrell.
"When I look at our overall - and in this day in time, you've got to look at the makeup of your team from the cap standpoint, from a financial standpoint, you've got to look at the team from the aspects of what you're going to do with your weapons, your receivers, your running backs. When we really look at what we'd like to try to do, then we felt like this would give a couple other young receivers a shot and give Roy Williams the focus that we'd like to have."
You might recall that when the Cowboys traded for Williams, all Jerry could talk about was how exciting it would be to have the two receivers complement each other. Now we're supposed to believe that the Cowboys got rid of T.O. to make room for Williams?
"I think that there are a lot of reasons why you sign a player or you release or trade a player," said Jerry, who gave T.O. a four-year, $34 million extension last spring and lost an additional $680,000 in salary cap room by releasing him. "You take age as a consideration. You take where you are with your entire roster. You take into consideration a lot of times, especially with a position like receiver, do you want to give others more of an opportunity to develop?
"In this particular case, we have an outstanding player in Roy Williams, and it was a significant factor in the decision that I made to release Terrell."
Jerry made the right decision, even if he's not willing to admit the reasons he did it.
