Terrell Owens' Legacy And Future
Terrell Owens Is A Great Player But Not Worth The Trouble
There is no doubt that Terrell Owens has had a Hall of Fame career, but he comes with a lot of baggage. The question is whether the positives will outweigh the negatives. He will help you win games but he will be a major headache if things aren't going well and he isn't getting the ball.
Terrell Owens the Football Player
Terrell Owens is one of the premier wide receivers in the National Football League. He has had a prolific 14-year career thus far. He ranks 6th all-time in receptions with 951, 5th all-time in yards with 14,122, and 2nd among wide receivers in touchdowns with 139. He has great size, speed, strength, and agility. He is one of the toughest covers in the NFL. He has also been very durable and has missed very few games due to injury. If he is such a great player, though, why have so many teams given up on him?
Terrell Owens the Team-Wrecker
Terrell Owens has had problems on every team he has been on. He has been seen yelling at coaches and coordinators on the sidelines. He has publicly complained when he has not gotten the football. His biggest problems seem to be with his quarterbacks. He had issues with Jeff Garcia in San Francisco and even went as far as to question his sexuality. He had problems with Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia and accused him of getting tired in the Super Bowl. He also stated publicly that the team would be better off with Brett Favre as their quarterback. He wound up being kicked off the team for insubordination. Most recently, in Dallas, he accused quarterback Tono Romo of conspiring with tight end Jason Whitten to freeze Owens and the other receivers out of the offense. He wound up being released last week. You have to ask yourself, why would a receiver want to alienate the guy that is responsible for getting him the football?
Terell Owens, is he a Winner?
Terrell Owens for all is greatness, has never won a Super Bowl. He was part of some solid teams with San Francisco, but they usually disappointed in the playoffs and never quite made the Super Bowl. In Philadelphia, ironically enough, they won two playoff games without him to get to the Super Bowl. He came back and played well in the Super Bowl, but, interestingly enough, they lost the game. In Dallas, he was part of one of the most talented teams in the league, yet, they never even won a playoff game. So, the question needs to be asked, can you win a Super Bowl with this guy on your team?
Future in Buffalo
Terrell Owens agent Drew Rosenhaus stated that there were three or four teams interested in Owens. If that is true, it is obvious that none of the teams were very good if the Buffalo Bills were the best option. Buffalo does not seem like a good fit for T.O. and here are the reasons why.
- Buffalo has a young, inconsistent quarterback in Trent Edwards
- Buffalo's head coach, Dick Jauron, is not very good, as evidenced by some of his poor decisions last year
- Buffalo plays in one of the toughest divisions in football with the three time Super Bowl Champion Patriots, last season's division winning Dolphins, and the much improved Jets
- Terrell Owens led the NFL in drops the past two seasons with twenty-seven, and the problem will be exacerbated playing in the brutal weather in Buffalo
The Bills signing of Terrell Owens was a desperation move. They are coming off three consecutive 7-9 seasons and they are looking to become more competitive in a very tough division. History says that Owens will put up big numbers but he is likely to be a headache, especially if he is not getting the football as much as he wants. Owens has been a selfish player his whole career and that is unlikely to change now. If he had issues with experienced quarterbacks like Garcia and McNabb, he is likely to have major issues with a young, inexperienced quarterback like Edwards. The Bills may win one or two more games this year but it won't be enough to make the playoffs. Owens is likely to have a few outbursts throughout the course of the season, and by season's end, the Bills will be fed up with him and likely not re-sign him.
Owens is one of the greatest receivers in the history of the league. However, his biggest legacy will be that of a selfish player who drove teams apart. He will be known as one of the best players never to have won a Super Bowl. Buffalo will wind up regretting having signed such a headcase. He will no doubt make plays for them, but this team is mediocre at best, and when the losses pile up, Owens frustration wil show. He will point the finger at the quarterback and the coaching staff, and much like San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Dallas before, things will not end well in Buffalo.
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