Here's the Terrell Owens You Like
Publication Source The Dallas Morning News
Publication Date 2007-05-12
IRVING, Texas _ No NFL player has ever admitted enjoying minicamp practices. They're not as bad as training camp practices, only because they don't last as long, and the players don't wear full pads.
So there would've been zero complaints had Terrell Owens missed Wade Phillips' first three-day minicamp, while his right ring finger continues to heal after two surgeries to repair a ruptured tendon.
Instead, T.O. surprised his owner and coach by participating in individual and team drills Saturday. He even beat Terence Newman deep for a touchdown, chuckling as he pranced into the end zone.
The Cowboys say there's no real risk in Owens, who was cleared to practice Friday, damaging the finger further by participating in the minicamp. After all, he played with the torn tendon during the latter part of the 2006 season.
Still, the Cowboys didn't expect him to practice, let alone compete in team drills until next month's minicamp or training camp, which begins the last week in July. Ray Sherman, the receivers coach, didn't find out until Saturday morning.
This is the T.O. you like _ the guy who's enthusiastic about practicing and improving. This T.O. is the player who competes as hard in practice as he does on Sundays. This is the guy worth the millions Jerry Jones will pay him this season.
This is the guy the Cowboys need to end their 10-year drought _ the longest in franchise history _ without a playoff win.
"He has a lot of pride. He's a top receiver, and he's in shape," Jones said. "It wouldn't surprise me if he had the resolve to do better than he did last year and improve on some things.
"I'm surprised he's practicing, but I think he's excited about the team we've got, and he just wanted to get involved."
Look at his numbers from last season _ 80 catches, 1,180 yards and a league-leading 13 touchdowns _ and they suggest T.O. had a fabulous season. Look deeper and you'll find it was a mirage.
There were too many drops (league-leading 17) and too few 100-yard games (team-leading three). And we haven't even talked about all the fines for tardiness and other infractions, the pouting about pass distribution and his less-than-scholarly approach to learning the offense.
That guy is a distraction who ultimately hurts the team. The Cowboys don't need that guy; they need the guy who showed up Saturday.
If we're honest, the Cowboys need the big-play ability Owens brings to the offense. Defenses are too good to consistently drive the length of the field for points. An elite offense must have quick-strike capability.
T.O. can provide that.
It's Jason Garrett's job to make sure Owens gets the ball in position to run after the catch, the attribute that makes an elite player. That didn't happen nearly enough last season.
Owens still finished fifth in the league in run-after-catch, but averaged only 4.71 yards. In 2006, with Philadelphia, he averaged 7.17 yards after every catch.
It's Owens' job to learn every facet of the playbook, so Garrett can move him around the formation without trepidation, making it more difficult for defenses to cover him. For the record, Garrett said Owens knew everything he was supposed to know in this minicamp.
When Owens is a threat, his presence opens up the entire offense because he demands special attention.
Owens' presence means Terry Glenn and Jason Witten get more single coverage. It means teams can't always bring an eighth defender near the line of scrimmage to stop the run.
"We have some good players and we have some great players," Phillips said. "He's important to me. What he does and doesn't do is important to me.
"We want our great players _ Pro Bowlers or guys who should have been in the Pro Bowl _ to be the best players on our team. You get better when your best players get better."
Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised Owens practiced. He's been a fast healer much of his career, whether he was playing in the Super Bowl less than two months after breaking his leg, or not missing a game despite breaking his hand last season.
Maybe, he simply wants to impress Phillips.
Bill Parcells ruled the team with an iron fist. He won two Super Bowls that way, so it's foolish in some respects to criticize his approach, though it didn't result in a playoff win in four seasons in Dallas.
That said, we all know Owens will have a better relationship with the laid-back Phillips than the confrontational Parcells.
But it only matters if the relationship translates into a season worthy of a superstar. For that, we must wait another seven months.
At least, T.O. is off to a good start.
Publication Date 2007-05-12
IRVING, Texas _ No NFL player has ever admitted enjoying minicamp practices. They're not as bad as training camp practices, only because they don't last as long, and the players don't wear full pads.
So there would've been zero complaints had Terrell Owens missed Wade Phillips' first three-day minicamp, while his right ring finger continues to heal after two surgeries to repair a ruptured tendon.
Instead, T.O. surprised his owner and coach by participating in individual and team drills Saturday. He even beat Terence Newman deep for a touchdown, chuckling as he pranced into the end zone.
The Cowboys say there's no real risk in Owens, who was cleared to practice Friday, damaging the finger further by participating in the minicamp. After all, he played with the torn tendon during the latter part of the 2006 season.
Still, the Cowboys didn't expect him to practice, let alone compete in team drills until next month's minicamp or training camp, which begins the last week in July. Ray Sherman, the receivers coach, didn't find out until Saturday morning.
This is the T.O. you like _ the guy who's enthusiastic about practicing and improving. This T.O. is the player who competes as hard in practice as he does on Sundays. This is the guy worth the millions Jerry Jones will pay him this season.
This is the guy the Cowboys need to end their 10-year drought _ the longest in franchise history _ without a playoff win.
"He has a lot of pride. He's a top receiver, and he's in shape," Jones said. "It wouldn't surprise me if he had the resolve to do better than he did last year and improve on some things.
"I'm surprised he's practicing, but I think he's excited about the team we've got, and he just wanted to get involved."
Look at his numbers from last season _ 80 catches, 1,180 yards and a league-leading 13 touchdowns _ and they suggest T.O. had a fabulous season. Look deeper and you'll find it was a mirage.
There were too many drops (league-leading 17) and too few 100-yard games (team-leading three). And we haven't even talked about all the fines for tardiness and other infractions, the pouting about pass distribution and his less-than-scholarly approach to learning the offense.
That guy is a distraction who ultimately hurts the team. The Cowboys don't need that guy; they need the guy who showed up Saturday.
If we're honest, the Cowboys need the big-play ability Owens brings to the offense. Defenses are too good to consistently drive the length of the field for points. An elite offense must have quick-strike capability.
T.O. can provide that.
It's Jason Garrett's job to make sure Owens gets the ball in position to run after the catch, the attribute that makes an elite player. That didn't happen nearly enough last season.
Owens still finished fifth in the league in run-after-catch, but averaged only 4.71 yards. In 2006, with Philadelphia, he averaged 7.17 yards after every catch.
It's Owens' job to learn every facet of the playbook, so Garrett can move him around the formation without trepidation, making it more difficult for defenses to cover him. For the record, Garrett said Owens knew everything he was supposed to know in this minicamp.
When Owens is a threat, his presence opens up the entire offense because he demands special attention.
Owens' presence means Terry Glenn and Jason Witten get more single coverage. It means teams can't always bring an eighth defender near the line of scrimmage to stop the run.
"We have some good players and we have some great players," Phillips said. "He's important to me. What he does and doesn't do is important to me.
"We want our great players _ Pro Bowlers or guys who should have been in the Pro Bowl _ to be the best players on our team. You get better when your best players get better."
Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised Owens practiced. He's been a fast healer much of his career, whether he was playing in the Super Bowl less than two months after breaking his leg, or not missing a game despite breaking his hand last season.
Maybe, he simply wants to impress Phillips.
Bill Parcells ruled the team with an iron fist. He won two Super Bowls that way, so it's foolish in some respects to criticize his approach, though it didn't result in a playoff win in four seasons in Dallas.
That said, we all know Owens will have a better relationship with the laid-back Phillips than the confrontational Parcells.
But it only matters if the relationship translates into a season worthy of a superstar. For that, we must wait another seven months.
At least, T.O. is off to a good start.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:48 AM
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