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There have been rumblings among some Cowboys fans about the possible return of Terrell Owens to Dallas. Like every team for which Owens has played, Cowboys fans seem to be split 50-50 on his worth to the team.
We are about the biggest Owens supporters you will find, but in this post, we will detail five reasons why Owens won’t (and shouldn’t) rejoin the Dallas Cowboys.
First, though, let’s talk about a few of the positives of Owens wearing the blue and silver once again.
Pros
1. Owens practices harder than anyone.
A lot of times Owens’ name gets grouped together with guys like Randy Moss and Chad Ochocinco, but that really is unfair to Owens. Unlike those players, Owens brings 100 percent to practice each and every day. He consistently prepares himself as well as anyone in the league, year in and year out.
Not only is Owens’ on-field behavior and production a template for the younger receivers to follow, but his work ethic also allows the Cowboys defensive backs to go against the best every day in practice. Don’t shortchange Owens’ involvement in Dallas as a major factor in the success of the Cowboys cornerbacks in 2009.
2. Despite a down year in Buffalo, it is evident Owens still has something left.
We recently spent some time looking at a few of the Bills’ late-season games in ’09. While Owens is obviously not what he was at age 28, he certainly can still play the game. His speed is still very much apparent. It would be very difficult for teams to try to take away both him and Austin deep, cover Witten underneath, and still stop the run game.
3. Owens would likely draw a lot of single coverage with Austin and Witten receiving a lot of attention.
Make no mistake about it—Miles Austin is the Cowboys’ No. 1 wide receiver. Defenses will surely look to take him and Witten out of a game first next season, with or without the addition of Owens. Having said that, Owens would benefit from single coverage which he very rarely saw during his first stint in Dallas.
Cons
1. Owens is unlikely to embrace a role as the third receiving option on offense.
For the above reasons, Owens’ return to Dallas looks good on paper. In reality, however, there is just no way Owens is going to accept a role as the Cowboys’ third receiving option (and probably fourth option overall). If Owens complained about not getting the ball enough when he was double-covered in Dallas, imagine how unhappy he will be if he does not get the ball when he is truly open.
2. Bringing back Owens would stunt the growth of Kevin Ogletree.
The Cowboys want to get Ogletree more involved in 2010. There are even rumors that he could push Roy Williams for a starting spot in training camp.
Ogletree’s playing time would become all but non-existent, though, if Owens returned to the ‘Boys. Even if Williams got cut, Crayton would likely remain in the slot, meaning Ogletree would be just a backup to the X and Z receivers.
3. The Cowboys would be unlikely to draft a young wide receiver due to a lack of roster space.
A lot of you are clamoring for the Cowboys to select a young wide receiver to groom as the eventual replacement for Roy Williams. While we still see an early-round selection of a wide receiver as unlikely (unless he is a return man), the Cowboys simply would not have the roster space to hold their current receivers, Owens, and a rookie.
4. Jerry Jones will not cut Roy Williams, meaning Dallas’ top three wide receivers would not play special teams.
Even if Owens came back to town, it is unlikely Jerry Jones would give up on Williams. He doesn’t want to admit he made a mistake on Williams, and in all fairness Roy has just one full season in Dallas under his belt.
Williams, as the third receiver, would not play special teams. This would create a problem, particularly if David Buehler does not win the placekicking job and the team has to use two roster spots on kickers.
5. Jerry Jones won’t bring back a player he cut immediately after claiming the Cowboys were searching for a “Romo-friendly” offense.
The reason Jones released Owens was not because of his on-field play, but because of the perceived locker room turmoil which Owens was thought to have created. Why in the world would the Cowboys bring back a player they deemed to be the cause of the team’s lack of chemistry, particularly after winning their first playoff game in over a decade?
Conclusion
Owens is not coming back to Dallas. Despite the potential benefits, his return would create more problems than it would fix. Topping that list of problems is the fact that Owens will not embrace being a role player and Jerry Jones will not disrupt his quest to create a “Romo-friendly” offense.
Despite this, we still suggest to all Cowboys fans, “Getcha popcorn ready!”
For more Cowboys news and rumblings, visit DallasCowboysTimes.com .
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We don’t see this very often, but four days into free agency the Washington Redskins have yet to make a big splash in the free agent market.
They could have jumped into the bidding war for Julius Peppers or Karlos Dansby. However, they opted to take the conservative route and bide their time.
Thus far, they have signed just one player who is far from a big name. Artis Hicks, a versatile utility lineman from the Minnesota Vikings, is all the Skins have snapped up in free agency this year.
Yet despite the inactivity, there have been rumblings of a few players here and there.
Tackles Tony Pashos and Chad Clifton each stopped by before inking deals elsewhere.
LB Larry Foote and RB Willie Parker visited Redskins Park yesterday while WR Antonio Bryant is expected to do the same today.
None of these guys are going to be superstars, but they are players who can contribute to the overall betterment of the team. Foote can play MLB in the 3-4 defense while Parker would be a solid veteran change-of-pace to Clinton Portis.
Bryant is the interesting one.
The Redskins don’t have a great corps of receivers. Devin Thomas looks like he could be a decent player. Santana Moss can be great if he draws single coverage. Malcolm Kelly really has done nothing.
Bryant would be a consistent possession receiver who would free up Moss and perhaps move him to the slot. That would give the Redskins two big receiving options on either side in Thomas (6-2, 218 lbs.) and Bryant (6-1, 205 lbs.).
Bryant dropped off last year, playing in just 13 games, catching 39 passes for 600 yards and four TDs. However, the year before he grabbed 83 balls for 1,248 yards and seven TDs.
Bryant is an intriguing option.
With him, the Redskins would solidify the receiving corps and could then turn focus completely to the offensive line situation.
It’s not as if the Redskins haven’t attempted to address the protection up front. They re-signed center Casey Rabach and brought in Hicks, but thus far, they have yet to find a pair of tackles.
The interior is taking shape.
Rabach will anchor the middle again with Derrick Dockery at left guard. Hicks is expected to start at right guard. Levi Jones and Stephon Heyer are likely the current starting tackles, meaning the Redskins will need to look at the remaining free agents and draft prospects for some starters.
The patience in Washington is refreshing.
The Redskins really didn’t need Julius Peppers. Larry Foote is a cheaper option than Karlos Dansby. Artis Hicks isn’t a guy the Redskins usually have on their radar.
The front office is one with an eye on the big picture.
Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen know this turnaround won’t happen overnight. They realize that breaking the bank this year won’t put them in contention for a Super Bowl.
So in an ordered, precise fashion, they are putting together components to compete.
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