Stephen A. Smith | T.O. should sit tight, keep Rosenhaus quiet
By Stephen A. Smith
Inquirer Columnist
For nearly one year now, Terrell Owens has been frustrated, disgusted, insulted, annoying, belligerent, dysfunctional and downright divisive. Now, after being exiled for two months, labeled the ultimate malcontent and branded as a cancer by the good ol' boys club of NFL executives, it's time Owens makes sure stupid isn't the latest term added to his list of his character flaws.
Never mind that the Eagles have granted his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, permission to seek a trade. Or that numerous teams, including the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, supposedly are interested. If Owens is smart, he'll tell Rosenhaus to earn his money by being quiet for a change, standing pat, and doing absolutely nothing until mid-March.It's called leverage, something Owens has done absolutely nothing to earn.
It was bad enough that he was purposely a divisive force, insulting everyone from Donovan McNabb to former offensive coordinator Brad Childress to head coach Andy Reid. But considering that all of it was done fresh off a spectacular nine-catch, 122-yard performance in last year's Super Bowl - when T.O.'s game and magnetic smile could have made him a boatload of money in endorsement dollars - his behavior was completely asinine.Times have changed now, though. The Eagles just might be the ones left sweating instead of Owens. Assuming that Owens plays his cards right, of course."It's all about how Owens handles matters in the coming weeks," one person close to T.O. told me recently. "With him, you just never know."
We know Owens is due a $2.5 million signing bonus and a $5 million roster bonus March 1 if he's still with the Eagles. At the moment, we also know that although most executives would jump naked into a swamp before trading for Owens and inheriting his compensation package, the Jets and Bucs - the 28th- and 25th-ranked passing offenses in the game this season, respectively - are two of the teams targeted as possible negotiating partners with the Eagles.
Even if they were willing to make a deal - which I can't imagine - Owens would be stupid to let Rosenhaus pursue it, lest they choose the route of an unconditional release. The same man who wouldn't go to Baltimore because of Kyle Boller, who couldn't get along with McNabb, is going to go play with the Bucs' Chris Simms or a quarterback (the Jets' Chad Pennington) who is coming off a torn rotator cuff?
Please.If T.O. went to Tampa or New York, he'd be crying before he got off the plane. Neither team makes any sense for him or his skills, and Rosenhaus should know this better than anyone."Personally, I'd love to see T.O. in Dallas," former Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin said. "When [Owens] asks me about Dallas, what do you think I'm going to say? Dallas would be a beautiful place for him to be."Since Irvin, a three-time Super Bowl champion, talks to T.O. several times a week, you know Owens is listening. And it isn't far-fetched to think owner Jerry Jones is listening as well.
The Cowboys just signed coach Bill Parcells to an extension through 2007. There's banter about the possibility of Redskins owner Daniel Snyder getting involved and getting T.O. to the nation's capital.Two owners committed to winning. Both willing to put their money where their mouths are. Both with the cachet, and the cash, to provide an incentive-laden contract comparable to the $8.27 million Owens is due to receive in 2006.
If the Eagles don't make a trade, they're not about to pay Owens next season's portion of the seven-year, $48.97 million contract they signed him to before the 2004 season. That means the Eagles would be left with nothing, lest they find a taker.
Owens has put himself through enough with his behavior alone. It's time he stops exhausting himself and Rosenhaus and let the Eagles do some legwork.He's a risk now, so only the risk-takers are going to be willing to take a chance, especially in the salary-cap-strapped NFL world we live in. The well-known ones are in Dallas, Washington and possibly Denver, all Super Bowl contenders.
So relax, T.O. Hold your breath for a change, and exercise patience, not petulance. It might actually get you somewhere.On the football field, that is.
Inquirer Columnist
For nearly one year now, Terrell Owens has been frustrated, disgusted, insulted, annoying, belligerent, dysfunctional and downright divisive. Now, after being exiled for two months, labeled the ultimate malcontent and branded as a cancer by the good ol' boys club of NFL executives, it's time Owens makes sure stupid isn't the latest term added to his list of his character flaws.
Never mind that the Eagles have granted his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, permission to seek a trade. Or that numerous teams, including the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, supposedly are interested. If Owens is smart, he'll tell Rosenhaus to earn his money by being quiet for a change, standing pat, and doing absolutely nothing until mid-March.It's called leverage, something Owens has done absolutely nothing to earn.
It was bad enough that he was purposely a divisive force, insulting everyone from Donovan McNabb to former offensive coordinator Brad Childress to head coach Andy Reid. But considering that all of it was done fresh off a spectacular nine-catch, 122-yard performance in last year's Super Bowl - when T.O.'s game and magnetic smile could have made him a boatload of money in endorsement dollars - his behavior was completely asinine.Times have changed now, though. The Eagles just might be the ones left sweating instead of Owens. Assuming that Owens plays his cards right, of course."It's all about how Owens handles matters in the coming weeks," one person close to T.O. told me recently. "With him, you just never know."
We know Owens is due a $2.5 million signing bonus and a $5 million roster bonus March 1 if he's still with the Eagles. At the moment, we also know that although most executives would jump naked into a swamp before trading for Owens and inheriting his compensation package, the Jets and Bucs - the 28th- and 25th-ranked passing offenses in the game this season, respectively - are two of the teams targeted as possible negotiating partners with the Eagles.
Even if they were willing to make a deal - which I can't imagine - Owens would be stupid to let Rosenhaus pursue it, lest they choose the route of an unconditional release. The same man who wouldn't go to Baltimore because of Kyle Boller, who couldn't get along with McNabb, is going to go play with the Bucs' Chris Simms or a quarterback (the Jets' Chad Pennington) who is coming off a torn rotator cuff?
Please.If T.O. went to Tampa or New York, he'd be crying before he got off the plane. Neither team makes any sense for him or his skills, and Rosenhaus should know this better than anyone."Personally, I'd love to see T.O. in Dallas," former Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin said. "When [Owens] asks me about Dallas, what do you think I'm going to say? Dallas would be a beautiful place for him to be."Since Irvin, a three-time Super Bowl champion, talks to T.O. several times a week, you know Owens is listening. And it isn't far-fetched to think owner Jerry Jones is listening as well.
The Cowboys just signed coach Bill Parcells to an extension through 2007. There's banter about the possibility of Redskins owner Daniel Snyder getting involved and getting T.O. to the nation's capital.Two owners committed to winning. Both willing to put their money where their mouths are. Both with the cachet, and the cash, to provide an incentive-laden contract comparable to the $8.27 million Owens is due to receive in 2006.
If the Eagles don't make a trade, they're not about to pay Owens next season's portion of the seven-year, $48.97 million contract they signed him to before the 2004 season. That means the Eagles would be left with nothing, lest they find a taker.
Owens has put himself through enough with his behavior alone. It's time he stops exhausting himself and Rosenhaus and let the Eagles do some legwork.He's a risk now, so only the risk-takers are going to be willing to take a chance, especially in the salary-cap-strapped NFL world we live in. The well-known ones are in Dallas, Washington and possibly Denver, all Super Bowl contenders.
So relax, T.O. Hold your breath for a change, and exercise patience, not petulance. It might actually get you somewhere.On the football field, that is.
posted by The Gryphon at 6:44 PM
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