On Thursday, a little buzz was created when news broke that Terrell Owens was working out in San Diego with Carson Palmer and Drew Brees, among other NFL players. Owens is trying to keep the NFL dream alive and get a shot with a team for the 2012 season. Would either of the two teams whose quarterback attended the workout -- the Oakland Raiders and New Orleans Saints -- be a good fit for T.O., or does another team make more sense?
The Oakland Raiders are always a possibility, but I seriously doubt new GM Reggie McKenzie would consider Terrell Owens. In fact, McKenzie would be part of a large choir of GMs staying away from T.O.
The New Orleans Saints would probably love to divert attention away from the bounty drama, but not with T.O. They are set at wideout.
One of the very few places Owens might work is Denver. Peyton Manning would be the biggest star, so Owens would have to fall in line or head back to the unemployment line. Also, the Denver Broncos have a young receiving group and Owens could add some experience.
I honestly don't think Owens will get another shot. Teams have had opportunities to sign him and passed. With his financial and paternal issues to go along with the way his indoor career ended, teams likely will stay away.
I don't believe T.O. fits into any current NFL situation at this stage of his career. He was showing signs of slowing down prior to his injury, and his speed and explosiveness have certainly been affected by his ACL surgery. Although he could provide a valuable presence as a veteran leader, T.O. has been a polarizing figure throughout his career, and I don't know if his potential impact is worth the risk.
If I had to pick a team that could present an intriguing situation, I would point to the Seattle Seahawks because of Pete Carroll's capacity to think outside the box. I wouldn't put a lot of stock into it, but it would be the only sensible place in my mind.
Terrell Owens would seem to be a good fit with the Oakland Raiders if they want a more physical receiver to complement speedsters Jacoby Ford, Denarius Moore and Darrius Heyward-Bey.
Palmer already knows T.O.'s game from playing with him in Cincinnati during the 2010 season. Together, they could take advantage of openings over the middle with defenses stretched out by those vertical threats. Also, they could improve the Raiders' mediocre third-down conversion rate from 2011 (35.7 percent, 21st in the league).
I don't think any team is a good fit. Terrell Owens' talent is no longer worth the headache that he brings. Owens hardly dominated the Indoor Football League. He's coming off very serious knee surgery, too.
NFL teams are ignoring T.O. It shouldn't take much longer for those of us in the media to follow suit.
In general, my feeling is that Terrell Owens' time in the NFL has passed. I would not sign him.
He does not fit the New Orleans Saints' offense. It's a precision-type offense and that's not Terrell Owens' game. He is not a dependable route runner.
Carson Palmer works best with disciplined route runners, too. At the end of the 2010 season, when T.O. was not in the lineup, the Palmer-led Bengals offense was much more efficient in the passing game. Thus, I don't see the Raiders as a good fit, either.
Even taking T.O.'s declining skills out of the picture, you still have a player with a history of being selfish and a disruption in the locker room. Just because Owens wants to play doesn't mean he deserves a job.
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- Jason Smith NFL.com
Forget the popcorn -- T.O.'s NFL days are cooked
Ha! Trick question, trick question on the Instant Debate! Our editors are sly, like high school teachers with too much zeal in designing exams. The correct answer is "What is no one?" (If you're doing it Jeopardy!-style.) Teams have already spoken loud and clear: They didn't want him coming off the ACL injury. They didn't want him at the beginning of this offseason. They didn't want him after the draft. And if someone gets hurt in camp, his phone still won't ring.
There's no doubt that he can still play, but he's not worth a potential headache. What T.O. needed to do was go on a huge shameless-PR tour, swearing up and down that he's a good guy and a good teammate who loves football and would just shut up and play. Do every interview, cold call GMs, show up at team headquarters. "Honest, mom, I'll be sooooo good, so I can get that new Big Wheel/Easy Bake Oven/NFL tryout!" Maybe that would have convinced a team -- like the Oakland Raiders -- that he's worth a shot.
This question must be some sort of joke. Terrell Owens back in the NFL? After he couldn't hold on to a second-rate arena football gig? Really? Why bother asking when the answer is so obvious: Clearly, the Raiders need to sign T.O. ASAP.
Do it for Carson Palmer, who must've felt out of sorts last season without an emotionally unstable diva to catch his passes.
Do it to honor the memory of Al Davis, the NFL's ultimate dumpster diver, salvaging players thrown on the scrapheap by the rest of the league.
Do it for Randy Moss and Chad 85, both of whom are back to breathe new life into the old-school image of the pain-in-the-butt, take-plays-off, throw-me-the-damn-ball-or-I'll-question-your-sexuality NFL wide receiver they've worked so hard to cultivate over the past decade and a half.
Most of all, do it for us fans (at least the ones who don't root for the Raiders). Football season is much funnier with T.O. around.
