Should the Falcons finally sign Terrell Owens?
Terrell Owens didn't have much of an impact in Buffalo last season. (Mike Groll/Associated Press)
FLOWERY BRANCH – Folks keep asking the question and now is the time to finally address it.
I’ve been getting tweets at AJCFalcons on twitter.com. (Come follow, we have to celebrate going over 1,600 followers!) Folks have been leaving comments on the blog, sending e-mails and my guys at the barbershop keep asking it, too.
Loading ...Some fans don’t think Michael Jenkins is a worthy No. 2 and are not sure that Harry Douglas will make it back from his knee injury. It’s hard to panic in May, but that’s what hardcore football fans do.
Last season, the Falcons got by with Marty Booker, a quiet professional who came to work and did his job, after Douglas went down.
I’ve gently tried to dissuade the masses from this line of questioning and by citing the headache factor.
The Falcons have clearly been dodging any potential headache players in the post Michael Vick-era in trying to build a championship team.
Each time T.O. has been on the market the Falcons have turned their nose up at the one-time Decatur resident.
Does Terrell Owens have any gas left in the tank? He'll turn 37 in December. (Nell Redmond/Associated Press)
In 1996, the Falcons selected defensive tackle Shannon Brown with the 84th pick in the third round and passed on Owens. He went five picks later to San Francisco. Brown never played a down in the league. (Tedy Bruschi was selected just two picks after Brown. He, of course, went on to help New England stack some Super Bowl rings.)
When Owens’ time was up in Philadelphia, the Falcons weren’t interested.
When Owens’ time was up in Dallas, the Falcons weren’t interested.
Now that he’s out on the streets again and presumably humbled, the Falcons – along with the rest of the league – don’t appear interested.
Even the Cleveland Browns have told him to take a hike.
Let’s look at this from both sides. I want to list some reasons why the Falcons should sign T.O. Then list some reasons why they should not.
Then I’ll turn the floor over to you all.
YES: THE FALCONS SHOULD SIGN T. O.
- The Falcons want to surround Matt Ryan with weapons.
- How potent would a four-receiver formation be with Roddy White and T.O. in the slot on one side and Tony Gonzalez in the slot and Michael Jenkins or Harry Douglas on the other side. Mike Mularkey could put
Michael Jenkins scoring against Texas. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
back on his “Inspector Gadget Hat” and scribble away.
- T.O. didn’t cause any problems in Buffalo. You know, maybe after all of these years in the league he’s no longer a quarterback killer. He will turn 37 in December.
- Veteran wide receiver coach Terry Robiskie and Gonzalez could keep Owens in line. Robiskie used to be a Raider, you know.
- T.O. has averaged 14.9 yards per reception over 15 years and can still get open. He needs just 49 yards to reach 15,000.
- T.O. would help the popcorn sales at the Georgia Dome and give the Falcons some “sizzle” and “star” power.
NO: THE FALCONS SHOULD NOT SIGN T.O.
- T. O. is washed up. There’s nothing left in the tank.
- T.O. has thrown his quarterback under the bus in San Francisco (Jeff Garcia), Philadelphia (Donovan McNabb) and Dallas (Tony Romo) and the Falcons can’t risk him turning on Matt
Will there be a McNabb and Owens reunion in Washington? (Associated Press)
Ryan.
- T.O. will be an unnecessary distraction, crying in press conferences and trying to bring attention to himself.
- T.O.’s had a nice run. Maybe he should just get on with his life’s work.
- T.O. is a six-time Pro Bowler and five-time first team All-Pro, but hasn’t done it since 2007.
YOUR TURN . . .
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430 comments Add your comment
BurningRedBleedingBlack
May 18th, 2010
9:42 am
This is a tough one D.O.L. I think signing T.O. Now wouldn’t be so bad he’s older and he even see’s he’s not getting any looks or getting nay younger. I think If we gave him a shot a one year contract and had him lined up next to White and Tony G, it could be beautiful football. However, I personally don’t like thinking about Ryan being dissed in public. I do feel T.O. has cooled down with the drama alot. Mike Smith wouldn’t put up with that crap anyway. So in the end i say give him a one year deal if he starts up with his crap bench him!!!!
ATL4life
May 18th, 2010
9:43 am
It is hilarious. These racist posters on here would want an all-white football team if they can have it. Stick to hockey…oh wait, the Thrashers are garbage! T.O would be a great addition. He didn’t have a QB in Buffalo to throw him the ball so his stats were down. When he has had a decent QB (i.e. Garcia, McNabb, Romo), he has performed well above the likes of Michael Jenkins and Harry Douglas. Sign him! You hate him because he taunts you with TD’s. …ask DeAngelo Hall about T.O.’s skills.
Playoffs ?
May 18th, 2010
9:44 am
………YES, …..we have no wide recievers except Roddy.
Yoda
May 18th, 2010
9:44 am
TO isn’t the best at catching and holding onto the ball….hell, we’ve got Jenkins that already does that.
rough road
May 18th, 2010
9:45 am
It has got to be a slow day at the AJC, if this bull hockey is all that they can come up with.
Crabkilla
May 18th, 2010
9:47 am
Believe it or not, as a T.O. hater, I think he could definitely help the Falcons this year even though he is not the T.O. of old. However, I think the Falcons need to stick to their guns and stay away from potential character issues aka criminals and media distractions.
In short, T.O., keep looking for a team. The birds have learned from their past mistakes. We are about good attitudes, unity, focus, and maturity in character.
Craig - The real Criag
May 18th, 2010
9:47 am
Hell Yes we should. I am sorry but TO is not as much of a civic liability that he once was. On top of that I sincerely believe that this time as a Free Agent has humbled him to the extent that he has realized teams are not interested in cancers, no matter how many TD they score. Also as a plus to the Pro TO argument, he has a house in Atlanta, he feels comfortable here and would be well received by a large percentage of the Falcon Nation. Not to mention the opportunities he will create better situations for White, Tony G and Turner. For White it will almost definitely ensure neither will get double covered, Tony G will be a bigger target over the middle w/ LB covering him and not he Nickle and most important to the Falcon’s running scheme he will draw more defenders out of the box for Turner.
The upside to TO is way bigger than his downside. I say sign him to a 1yr contract with an extension clause. We NEED a second WR threat desperately.
rough road
May 18th, 2010
9:49 am
The comment @ 9:43 crying racism, is racist.
ryan
May 18th, 2010
9:49 am
I say yes because the Falcons need to score points Jenkins is not a 2nd WR the should have went after Brandon Marshal. Boldin,and Antiono Bryant Matt Ryan needs weapons around him they could sign T.O. for a 1 year deal.
Milledgeville
May 18th, 2010
9:49 am
Make T.O. graduate from the Personality Disorder Clinic that Big Ben is attending,
then sign him up.
Sid
May 18th, 2010
9:49 am
ATL4life
May 18th, 2010
9:43 am
****************************************************
Dude, if you are running in from the bullpen it is in right field. That is such a left field comment about racist posters in this thread. The only comment so far that hints of racism is yours.
And thank you for the laugh, reminding me of all the anguish T.O. has caused Meangelo thru the years.
Cottmj
May 18th, 2010
9:51 am
HELL no.
Matt the Brave
May 18th, 2010
9:51 am
Many Braves fans thought that Sheffield was washed up when he signed with the Braves. I think that it would be interesting, but I wouldn’t give him more than a little over minimum to play. He would be a good #2 receiver, but I’d limit him to that. And first hiccup or major complaint, run him out on a rail.
Brilliant Idea
May 18th, 2010
9:52 am
What a BRILLIANT IDEA! I hope the Falcons’ brass seriously considers adding T.O. to our roster! Since this in an uncapped year, the Falcons can go for broke and sign T.O., Donte Stallworth, and Odell Thurman. Then, perhaps they can work out a trade to acquire Pac Man Jones and Big Ben
Medical Reefer
May 18th, 2010
9:52 am
Hell YES
D. Orlando Ledbetter
May 18th, 2010
9:53 am
Just did a quick survey of the poll comments:
Looks like there are 14 for No. 4 for Hell No. 8 for yest and 1 for Hell Yes. I look at the poll numbers later.
Sid — credit Blue Fender for this blog idea.
Let’s go — I wouldn’t let T.O. go postal on my man Mark Bradley. I’d have his back!
FalconsTransplant — Surprising vote for you.
D-bird in Chucktown — There were two mini camp reports, a blog summary and a note book leading with Eric Ward.
Reking ball — I’ll do some research on his price. Can’t be too high. He signed a one-year deal worth $6.5 to play in Buffalo. Falcons could probably get him for $4 to $5 million.
Get to the damn Super Bowl and quit playing around — Does T.O. put them over the top?
Craig - The real Criag
May 18th, 2010
9:53 am
Really People? Jenkins, guy who hs basically been a bust will put up numbers to a Hall of Fame Talent, said Talent not candidate. Please…. if TO and Roddie lined up with Tony G in the slot, Ryan will have 3500+ yards and 30 TDs.
Sid
May 18th, 2010
9:53 am
Hey Led Said Thred, I can’t believe you are getting this much action on T.O.
Come get me mother, I am thru………………..
Politcal Correctness
May 18th, 2010
9:54 am
Matt Ryan is not a baby, he can handle T.O.
Craig - The real Criag
May 18th, 2010
9:56 am
D.O.L –
He does put them over the top for three simple reasons. Its frees White from double coverage, if free Tony G from the nickle back because of the deep threat and finally it brings the 8th defender out of the box to cover the slant TO learned from Rice. As an offense we could definitely use. Plus it would help with the hype and swagger for our team after NOLA stole all the mojo from everyone in the South.
rough road
May 18th, 2010
9:57 am
Don’t need him.
madison jenkins
May 18th, 2010
9:57 am
Sign T.O.! There’s only upside here! Matty Ice need more weapons! And also sign a old veteran offensive lineman!So he can teach the younger cats about the finer things points about blocking and blitzes… If you notice in the NFL, the contending teams always keep their core group and get older veterans that only want to win after 10+seasons in the league (junior seau- w/NE, darren sharper, jeremy shockey-w/NO, Falcons in 1998 w/tony martin, and eugene robinson) we need that element to our team now to get to that level again! Sign T.O.!
PMC
May 18th, 2010
9:58 am
I’m not sure really. I don’t know what he’s got left. If he’s still got anything in the tank it could be an outstanding signing. I don’t see him really going all that crazy or affecting the locker room. He’s a great soundbyte… so is Ochocinco…. and if he could simply make a few big catches early it might help free up Roddy more often… not to mention give them another target in the red zone. The guy can play at an extremely high level… and then he drops as many balls as Michael Jenkins sometimes though he blamed the ones in Dallas on that broken hand and I think that’s a pretty fair excuse even though he does normally drop more than he should.
I don’t think it’s going to happen, but I certainly wouldn’t mind having him here for a year if he could make the receiving corps better.
FalconsFan
May 18th, 2010
9:59 am
Andre,
TRUE Falcons Fans know that we’ve got a good group of talented WR’s we don’t need TO to become a better team. It’s obvious that nobody has been paying attention to the talent that was brought in this year through the draft and the College FA.
PMC
May 18th, 2010
9:59 am
He would be another offensive weapon to stretch a defense and they do need that.
What?
May 18th, 2010
10:01 am
Orlando, you must have nothing to write about today.
Gold's Gym
May 18th, 2010
10:01 am
I know one thing,
Terrell Owens stays in good shape.
Ask Turner the Burner.
madison jenkins
May 18th, 2010
10:01 am
well said Craig! Falcons need to take that swagger from NO this year and put them where they belong, back to THE NEW ORLEANS AIN’TS!!!
Honky Talkin'
May 18th, 2010
10:02 am
No Freakin’ Way! He is a cancer in the locker room. The Falcons have great chemistry right now.
FalconsFan
May 18th, 2010
10:03 am
Something else to add, when has TO EVER put a team over the top? How many Super Bowl rings does TO have? How about Randy Moss?
I’d much rather give one of they young guys the Falcons have a spot on the team over a 37 year old who may play another year at most.
Yoda
May 18th, 2010
10:05 am
If the Falcons are serious about loading up this year…then by all means get on the phone give away 2 1st rd picks and see if you can get Johnson out Houston…..but TO isn’t what he was even in Philly.
PMC
May 18th, 2010
10:06 am
This locker room I think is solid enough to handle a big personality. I don’t think they would let media comments get to them. They have excellent leadership from the coaching staff too.
With nothing to play for last year and injuries piling up they took it upon themselves to go win 3 games for pride and professionalism. That end of the season says a lot about the character of the men in the locker room.
Above all else TO wants to win and he gets frustrated when that doesn’t happen. I think he would buy into what is going on here and not make waves other than like Ochocinco just having fun.
mgdawg
May 18th, 2010
10:06 am
Sign TO to a one year deal, even in the past TO has been good the first year with a team. He can probably be signed pretty cheap and would automatically be the number 2 wr, he might still be better then roddy white. I think he could be a piece of the puzzle that could raise the falcons to superbowl contender.
riggo
May 18th, 2010
10:07 am
YES, that will upgrade the receiving group 100%. 2 get 2 the superbowl and win it, u need players!!!
MARIO
May 18th, 2010
10:11 am
yeah pick him up..I think with all the teams TO played with. He has a punk for a QB..I think Ryan has showed his prowess and toughness…also i think if he starts to be a problem they will quickly cut him.. i think it is a low risk…Also a little more attention down here in the A would not hurt…Remember you have to have players to win games….
Craig - The real Criag
May 18th, 2010
10:12 am
You cannot compare the productivity of TO to Jenkins, if you are lets compare total TDs, Yards, YAC, AVG YPC and drops. To simply say TO dropped the ball as many times as Jenkins is misleading considering TO is Bigger Stronger and Faster than Jenkins and shown to be a top performer in league while Jenkins would be luck to be #3 receiver for any other team but the Falcons, and as a side note our WR core is not as good as some people would like to think.
Bangkapi Ajarn
May 18th, 2010
10:13 am
T O?
N O!
1) Character, FBI, positive synergy are all traits that TD and Smitty seem to be cultivating, and I agree with this approach (history and the Commish’s track record validate this theory).
2) Will he make Ryan a better QB, or a worse QB? Looking at the QB’s that have had TO to work with, I believe this would be a likely no. Just my opinion, I realize some may disagree.
3) Lots of young talent that need the snaps to get better and reach their potential. One draft Choice (Meier) and two UFA’s that have a reasonable chance to make the team as it is, with a max of two potential roster openings for fresh blood. TO would be a step back in the “process” IMHO.
BatmanPritchard
May 18th, 2010
10:13 am
YES. The Falcons should sign Terrell. They have nothing to lose because you can probably get him relatively cheap. He may have a little left in the tank and if he does, it may help the Falcons make the playoffs or go even further in the playoffs.
Whitney Houston
May 18th, 2010
10:13 am
Hell to the NO!
ATLGAL
May 18th, 2010
10:14 am
YES HELL YES..THE FALCONS ARE NOT THAT GREAT ANYWAYS!!! RYAN IS VERY AVERAGE, NOT THAT GREAT!! SO PLEASE THIS TEAM NEEDS ALL THE HELP THEY CAN GET!!!!!
Enz
May 18th, 2010
10:14 am
He’d destroy everything the Falcons stand for. Wow can we get a bigger picture or what? haha
cricket
May 18th, 2010
10:14 am
NO
Ponce de Leon
May 18th, 2010
10:14 am
The reason this article is getting a lot of action,
is because the Falcons need another dependable wide reciever.
Tony
May 18th, 2010
10:14 am
Yes, sign him now!!
drmondo
May 18th, 2010
10:15 am
I live in upstate NY an hour from Buffalo. TO wasn’t that quiet last year, he just wasn’t as outrageous as he’s been in the past. Also, he’s expecting at least $5 mil a year, so he’s not going to come cheaply. He’s older, slower and drops a fair amount of balls thrown to him. He also isn’t someone who would mentor our younger WR an help with their skills, he’d just set a bad example.
Overall, what positives he brings to the team are outweighed by the negatives. If he had anything left, the Bills would have brought him back. They’re desperate to do anything to spark interest in the team (which is why they signed him last year).
ATLGAL
May 18th, 2010
10:15 am
HELL YES !!!
gritz blitz
May 18th, 2010
10:16 am
The Falcons stand for NEVER making the playoffs two years in a row
waynester
May 18th, 2010
10:16 am
All you have to do is read this blog to see the kind of discord and disruption the mere thought of adding Owens to the roster would do to this team. Merely disagreeing with the idea has some crying “Racism” already– imagine if TD actually signed him! Where the notion that this team needs an African-American “Superstar” to draw an audience came from, I’ll never understand–especially when we already have such players on the team RIGHT NOW(Turner and White just to name 2) who are actually good role models for our kids to look up to. We need to pack the dome with fans of the Team, not of a particular player–we’ve been there already,and ought to have learned our lesson…..
Dwight
May 18th, 2010
10:16 am
Sure, sign T.O., that is if you want TROUBLE.
Billy
May 18th, 2010
10:18 am
sign TO? Hell to the NO!!!