Like most people who follow football, I was absolutely flabbergasted upon hearing that Terrell Owens signed with the Buffalo Bills. Then, after absorbing the information over a day or so, I realized that this was a stunningly great move. Let’s breakdown all the positives, since the only real negatives are that he’s a locker room cancer.
— Everyone calls T.O. a cancer (look, I just did) and that’s a fact, but he’s the type of cancer that isn’t fatal if treated early and doesn’t develop. Look at how he behaved in Dallas and Philadelphia, the first years he was there, he seemed like the model citizen. He got along great with the QBs and didn’t cause any more ruckus than the average receiver would. So, by signing him to a one-year contract (at a reasonable $6.5 million as well), he won’t be around for that second, usually fatal year.
— He’s the perfect fit opposite Lee Evans. It’s a well established fact that if you’re going to have one speedy, down-field receiver, then you need to compliment him with a good underneath, yards-after-the-catch guy. And if there’s a better one than Owens, well, I haven’t seen him. Since both guys are big play threats, defences will have to choose which one to focus on, invariably leaving the other in single coverage scenarios.
— Trent Edwards will love him. The Bills starting QB is good short-yardage passer and that’s where T.O. lives. Edwards will benefit greatly from Owens’ ability to bring in the ball on crossing routes, where Evans hasn’t shown he can be effective. Owens’ presence will open up a lot of chances for Evans and fellow speedster Roscoe Parrish to get clear for some big plays.
— There’s no way that T.O. will be squawking on the sidelines again, right? He’s already accumulated a lot of negative press and is on a lot of blacklists around the league. Would he really want to keep that image alive by doing the same bad things he has at all his previous stops? i wouldn’t think so.
And, finally, because the Bills will be playing a game in Toronto this season, we’ll all be inudated with terrible “T.O. in T.O.” headlines the week leading up to the game. Great…
As an Australia-based Bills fan, I found your blog on google and read a few of your other Bills posts.
I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.