Cowboys Cut Terrell Owens – Where Might T.O. End Up?

Late last night my dad called to tell me that Terrell Owens had been cut by the Dallas Cowboys. Normally, this would not appear to have tremendous relevance for a Midwest sports blog. However, I live in Dallas and have to listen to T.O. B.S. seemingly every single day — and of course today was no exception. Thus, let me just write this post and purge myself of any lingering T.O. thoughts so I can get on with the rest of my day.

First off, I agree with the move from the Cowboys’ perspective. Yes, it creates a big question mark at WR, where they now only have the overrated Roy Williams and the underwhelming trio of Patrick Crayton, Miles Austin, and Sam Hurd. However, this is a very good draft for WRs, and with their first round the pick the Cowboys should be able to target guys like Jeremy Maclin or Percy Harvin.

What’s that you say? The Cowboys traded their first round pick in 2009 for Roy Williams? Oh. Hmm…

Well, surely they can still make a play for a WR in free agency, right? Let’s take a look at the Scout.com list of still-available free agent WRs, now that TJ Houshmandzadeh has signed with the Seahwaks and Laveraneus Coles has signed with Bengals. Here is a quick list of the top guys left:

• Marvin Harrison
• Jerry Porter
• Lance Moore
• Joey Galloway
• D.J. Hackett
• Drew Bennett
• And a bunch of other guys not really worth mentioning who fit into the Miles Austin-Sam Hurd class of nondescript 4th or 5th WRs.

So…not a whole lot there to choose from. I could see Marvin Harrison as a potential option, a stop-gap for this season. But he is living more on reputation than anything else these days, and his rep isn’t even that good anymore. Jerry Jones does like to bring in “names” though, so I wouldn’t necessarily count Harrison out.

The point of this silly exercise is that the Cowboys made themselves a less talented offense by cutting Terrell Owens, and there are not a whole lot of options out there to replace him. But you know what? I still think it will make them a better team. Here’s why:

• The Cowboys should be built around the run, not the pass. They have Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice in the backfield. Three excellent runners. Plus, they have a big and meaty offensive line that is adequate enough as a run blocking unit. Now that T.O. doesn’t need to be coddled and thrown to, the Cowboys can focus more on the ground.
• If it comes down to a pissing contest between your franchise QB and your aging, no-as-effective-anymore WR, you have to side with the QB. I think Tony Romo displayed some immaturity last year, and the jury is out as to whether he can win in the playoffs, but I’d rather him be happy than placate Owens if I’m a Cowboys fan.
• Roy Williams does have talent, and the Cowboys dealt a #1 pick for him last year. This allows Williams to step into the #1 role and prove what he can do. It will allow to Cowboys to find out if they have a true #1 receiver to build the offense around, or if they need to move onto plan C next offseason.
• And finally, and more importantly, releasing T.O. will undoubtedly help with locker room harmony and chemistry. Perhaps the Cowboys are getting smarter and Jerry Jones is figuring out what wins football games these days. Putting a bunch of big names on a roster doesn’t do it — creating a team does. T.O. may sometimes get blamed for things that are not his fault, but he has earned that absence of any benefit of the doubt. He’s had problems with every QB he’s ever played with and history has proven that he just can’t stay in one place too long. His welcome had been worn out in Dallas, and it was time for him to go. The Cowboys will be better off because of it.

Another hot topic of conversation on both 1310 The Ticket and Mike & Mike in the Morning as I drove in today was where Terrell Owens might end up now that he is not the teacher’s pet for Jerry Jones any longer. Let’s take a quick trip through the divisions and see what teams could potentially be a fit, keeping these components in mind:

• The team has to have some cap space
• There needs to be an established QB who would command T.O.’s respect and keep him in line
• There needs to be a need at the WR position

.And just for fun, I’ll rate my own thoughts of the likelihood of T.O. ending up somewhere on a 1-10 scale.

(FYI: All cap numbers were taken from WalterFootball.com’s team-by-team offseason reports and may not reflect the most up-to-date numbers. Great site though.)

You can also feel free to skip my a.m. ramblings from this morning and hop on over to PFT’s Anti-TO List. Expectedly, some of my projections below have already proven erroneous.

NFC East:

• New York Giants: They obviously need a WR, and have $11 million in cap space. Considering Tom Coughlin’s history with Bill Parcells though, and the headaches caused by Plaxico Burress last year, there are hurdles. But the Giants have a strong locker room and a laid-back QB in Eli Manning would could get along with T.O. for a year or two. This is a very hard one to handicap. 6 out of 10.
• Washington Redskins: They are up against the cap after the Albert Haynesworth signing and just recently drafted young WRs to go along with Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El. There is absolutely no reason for the Redskins to look at T.O. In fact, it would be a dumb, stupid, ludicrous move for them to make — which is exactly why it is slightly possible, given Daniel Snyder’s history. 1 out of 10
• Philadelphia Eagles: The position need is there, but no way, no how. Been there, done that. 0 out of 10

NFC North:

• Chicago Bears: This is an interesting one. The Bears don’t have much at receiver beyond Devin Hester and do have some cap space. With the team committing to Kyle Orton, adding another weapon could certainly help him out. I think the fit seems possible, but I just don’t see it. 3 out of 10
• Detroit Lions: No way. They were 0-16 last year and need to rebuild, and Jim Schwartz won’t want anything to do with T.O., especially they go QB with the #1 pick. 0 out of 10.
• Green Bay Packers: WR is already a strength for this team. No chance. 0 out of 10.
• Minnesota Vikings: They have cap space, and a few decent-to-good WRs in Bernard Berrian and Bobby Wade. They just signed a new QB in Sage Rosenfels, but are obviously built to win games on the ground. And Brad Childress was in Philly with T.O. 0 out of 10.

NFC South:

• Atlanta Falcons: Young QB in Matt Ryan and an established #1 WR in Roddy White. No chance. 0 out of 10.
• Carolina Panthers: They need a WR to step in for Muhsin Muhammad, but they want to go young. They wouldn’t replace Muhammad with T.O., since the two are essentially the same game nowadays, but Muhammad doesn’t have the baggage. 0 out of 10.
• New Orleans Saints: They are not in a great cap situation, so probably could not sign T.O. and still sign their rookie FAs. They do love to pass the ball and Terrell Owens would give Drew Brees another solid target, plus T.O. might respect Brees enough to treat him decently for a year or so. I guess it is possible, but highly unliekly. 1 out of 10.
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers: They certainly have the cap space, but just resigned Antonio Bryant and Michael Clayton. Plus, they will have a great chance to get a WR in the first round of the draft. But with Kellen Winslow and Jerramy Stevens already on the team, could they afford another head case? 1 out of 10.

NFC West:

• Arizona Cardinals: If they don’t get Anquan Boldin extended and happy, there would be a void at the WR position. However, they would have Steve Breaston to step right in. Plus, the Cardinals are cheap, and I doubt Kurt Warner wants to deal with T.O.’s whining. 1 out of 10.
• San Francisco 49ers: I cannot imagine Mike Singletary wanting to bring T.O. back to where it all started. There are still question marks for this team at QB, and Singletary showed last year how much patience he has for me-first guys: zero. There is a need at WR, but enough to go for Terrell Owens. 0 out of 10.
• Seattle Seahawks: Maybe, had they not just signed T.J. Houshmandzadeh. No reason to reach for T.O. anymore, especially with the chance to take Michael Crabtree in the draft. They do have a strong QB in Hasselbeck and could still use more WR help, but I don’t really see it. 1 out of 10.
• St. Louis Rams: The need is definitely there, especially with Torry Holt asking to be released. They Rams have an established QB in Marc Bulger who could potentially get along with Terrell Owens. And new head coach Steve Spagnuolo has faced T.O. times a year and will have a good idea if Owens is washed up, or if he has anything left to give. The Rams do have some cap space. This is a possibility. 6 out of 10.

AFC East:

• Buffalo Bills: The Bills have a lot of cap space, but have Lee Evans, Josh Reed, and James Hardy at WR, with plenty of other holes to fill. 0 out of 10.
• Miami Dolphins: Riiight. Bill Parcells and “The Player” back together again? I think not. -6983 out of 10.
• New England: They already have Randy Moss and Wes Welker and will want to bring young guys in to fill their other WR voids. The locker room and QB situation would work, and the Pats have cap space, but I don’t think T.O.’s production justifies the headache anymore. 1 out of 10.
• New York Jets: The need is there, with Laveraneus Coles headed to the Bengals. They are up against the cap though, and still have rookies to sign. Plus, with no established QB, what would keep T.O. in line? 2 out of 10.

AFC North:

• Baltimore Ravens: They need a WR, especially with Derrick Mason getting older, but they will want that WR to be younger. They do have cap space as well. Perhaps the Ravens feel like T.O. could put them over the age and give them a chance to go one step further than last year. Joe Flacco is a young QB, but Ray Lewis and the strong personalities on D could help keep Owens in line. This one is intriguing, but still unlikely I think. 5 out of 10.
• Cincinnati Bengals: They just signed Coles, so the need is not there. They have cap space, but why waste it on Owens? 0 out of 10.
• Cleveland Browns: Especially if they end up trading Braylon Edwards, WR will be a need. And the Browns do have cap space. However, I don’t see T.O. meshing well at with Eric Mangini. 0 out 10.
• Pittsburgh Steelers: No way. They have Holmes and Ward, and I can’t see Mike Tomlin putting up with Owens. 0 out of 10.

AFC South:

• Houston Texans: The cap space is there, and Matt Schaub is an established veteran. However, Andre Johnson is the clear #1, and Kevin Walter had a solid year that year. They could use another WR, and I guess this is possible, but I still can’t really see it happening. 2 out of 10.
• Indianapolis Colts: This one is very intriguing to me. The Colts need 3 WRs for their offense to functional as usual. With Marvin Harrison gone, they need someone to line up opposite Reggie Wayne so Anthony Gonzalez can work the slot. Peyton Manning would obviously demand T.O. respect; but, there is a first time head coach that may not be ready to deal with T.O. And cap space is an issue. I think there are reasons why this could work on the field in the short term, but it is probably not possible. 1 out of 10.
• Jacksonville Jaguars: They basically have nothing at WR. They do, however, have an established QB in David Garrard and enough cap space to make a deal happen. However, with the disharmony that was present in the locker room last year, why would you bring in Terrell Owens? This is only possible because of the immense strength of the need Jacksonville has at WR, but I’d be shocked if they were dumb enough to bring a toxic element into an already toxic locker room. 4 out of 10.
• Tennessee Titans: The Titans always need WRs. They signed Nate Washington and re-signed Justin McCareins, but T.O. would be top threat on the this team. They have $31 million in cap space as of February 8th, and a veteran QB in Kerry Collins who can get the ball down the field. Plus, Jeff Fisher seems like one of the coaches who has enough experience and skins on the wall to keep T.O. in line temporarily. There are a lot of reasons why this is possible, though still not probably. 5 out of 10.

AFC West:

• Denver Broncos: They already have Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, and I don’t think a young first-time head coach is equipped to deal with Jay Cutler’s bitchiness, Marshall’s immaturity, and T.O.’s ego. 0 out of 10.
• Kansas City Chiefs: On the field, Terrell Owens would be a nice #2 option after Dwayne Bowe. But the Chiefs have a new QB situation and new coaches and management. The cap space is definitely there, but Scott Pioli will want to create a winning climate immediately, and T.O.’s selfishness won’t fit into that. 1 out of 10.
• Oakland Raiders: Need is huge, and this is the Raiders. The cap situation is not good, but still — this is the Raiders. Never underestimate Al Davis’ willingness to do things that make no sense. 6 out of 10.
• San Diego Chargers: Decent cap situation, established QB, so it could work from that perspective in the short term. However, the Chargers have needs needs beyond WR, where they have Vincent Jackson, Chris Chambers, and a core of young guys. Cant see this one. 1 out of 10.

So there you have it. According to my completely unscientific and hastily slapped together analysis, the most likely possible destinations for Terrell Owens are the Raiders, the Giants, and the Rams, with the Ravens, Titans, and Jaguars as secondary possibilities.

I think any of these teams would be making a big mistake, but this is the NFL. Someone will roll the dice on T.O. if the price is right, but I think they’ll be sorry in the end — just like the Cowboys were.

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