Falcons discussed bringing in Terrell Owens, Blank says
Terrell Owens, who lives in Atlanta and often attends Hawks games, came up in discussions with the Falcons. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
Terrell Owens never was close to becoming a Falcon this offseason. But yes, the team did talk about it.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank said this morning that general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Mike Smith discussed the possibility of signing Owens to bolster the team’s receiving corps “about 30 days ago.” Blank even joined the discussions briefly. But ultimately they decided not to make a move on the former free agent, who recently signed with Cincinnati.
“We talked but the conversations were short-lived,” Blank said. “It’s not a criticism of him. We just decided that with Roddy [White] in place, Michael Jenkins still developing, Harry Douglas coming back and the young man we drafted from Kansas [Kerry Meier] coming in, that we didn’t feel a need to bring him in.”
Owens, a long-time Atlanta resident, signed with Cincinnati after spending last year with Buffalo. The Bengals are his fourth team in six years. While some believe he still has the skills to be a solid No. 2 receiver, despite being 36 years ago, he has been a locker room problem for much of his career. That likely figured into the Falcons’ thinking.
Blank’s comments were part of a wide-ranging interview for a column I’ll be posting later today. Check back here later, as the Falcons prepare to open training camp.
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79 comments Add your comment
beoti
July 29th, 2010
9:33 am
1
TROTTINGHOME
July 29th, 2010
9:36 am
T.O…..turd omlette
82Dawg
July 29th, 2010
9:44 am
Why would they want him in the locker room?
Wo Fat
July 29th, 2010
9:44 am
Ah so, vedy good!
Falcon Fan
July 29th, 2010
9:44 am
Why would they want him in the locker room??
PMC
July 29th, 2010
9:45 am
*meeting opens* ok so… uh guys… available free agents… hey TO’s available we need a big wide reciever who can haul down TD’s.
Yeah but he’s in his late 30’s and he drops a lot of passes.
Don’t we have Michael Jenkins in house already for fairly cheap?
Yeah and he drops passes like TO already too.
Ok. moving on……what does everyone want for breakfast…
PMC
July 29th, 2010
9:48 am
For the record though. LOVE LOVE LOVE that he’s in Cincinatti with Ochocinco for the pure entertainment aspect of it. I’ve got nothing against TO. I think he’s fun to watch but there was no reason to bring him here…. I’d rather have Randy Moss for a year.
Tweets that mention Falcons discussed bringing in Terrell Owens, Blank says | Jeff Schultz -- Topsy.com
July 29th, 2010
9:56 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Reggie Mickles, Jeff Schultz. Jeff Schultz said: Falcons discussed bringing in Terrell Owens, Blank says http://bit.ly/d4VuvC [...]
Tweets that mention Falcons discussed bringing in Terrell Owens, Blank says | Jeff Schultz -- Topsy.com
July 29th, 2010
10:01 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Daniel Walker, atjohns and Leo McCrary, Jeff Schultz. Jeff Schultz said: Blank: Falcons discussed bringing in TO (and fortunately said no). http://bit.ly/bTtHs2 [...]
The Grinch
July 29th, 2010
10:06 am
Thank god this wasn’t seriously persued. We would have gained a few ticket sales and some media coverage, but the cost to team chemistry wouldn’t have been worth it.
That said, Michael Jenkins really needs to step it up. Nobody with his size and skill set should be as mediocre as he is.
Paul in RDU
July 29th, 2010
10:09 am
PMC @9:45 – Love the post. Sounds like you were there in person!
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 29th, 2010
10:16 am
Yeah, agreed actually can imagine that went just as quickly as PMC states it did.
Bear
July 29th, 2010
10:21 am
Glad they didn’t.
clickdawg
July 29th, 2010
10:23 am
vick has nothing to do with the falcons, please give it a rest people, and we all know the people whom i’m referring to.
YO. PMC
July 29th, 2010
10:23 am
Jenkins just resigned last year to someting like 5 million a year to be average. (not TD’s best move in the front office) They have Jenkins more to block than catch fly patterns down the sideline. Roddy is the second or third highest paid reciver in the league. Fin, HD, Weems and the rookie wont make anything. Another playmaker would be good, but not TO with the solid foundation they have built over the past two. years. I’ll take a Tyson Clabo “pancake” block for breakfast please. Not a TO.
YO. PMC
July 29th, 2010
10:29 am
Next year a Randy Moss sounds good for a one year rental. Then you start thinking that we beat him in the NFC championship game. I was still in college and just thinking about that makes my bones creak. Imagine the wear and tear of a NFL player’s body for 13 years.
FalconUGAFan
July 29th, 2010
10:31 am
Besides TO would get lost in the Atlanta airport..oh wait sorry he wouldn’t make it there….my bad…
Camp on Saturday!
July 29th, 2010
10:32 am
Any early bird season ticket holders going to Flowery Branch for the tour Saturday? Did you receive your passes? What is gong on? I RSVP two weeks ago and nothing yet.
Moose and Squirrel
July 29th, 2010
10:38 am
Cincinnati is a haven for problem children. This doesn’t really work if you want to win football games. It will be an entertaining side show, which has already started since TO missed his flight.
JV
July 29th, 2010
10:39 am
I hope “short lived” means about two seconds.
ReddJonn68
July 29th, 2010
10:40 am
Hey Jeff your real story was right in front of you & ya missed it. This clearly let’s us know that the organization realizes that we do need help at WR. How can they say with a straight face that they discussed T. O., & not acknowledge the real issue. This is the first time I can say that I don’t understand Dimitroff’s intentions, I hope this doesn’t come back to haunt us. It will be the front-office fault this time, because we clearly had a chance to address a need, & not waste time discussing wannabe celebrities !!!!
Jeff Schultz
July 29th, 2010
10:43 am
ReddJonn68 — You make a valid point. I’m guessing it came down to the concern of TO being a disruptive force (example: whining when he doesn’t get the ball thrown to him enough) clearly overshadowed whatever it was they concluded he could bring to the team on the field at the age of 36.
Russ
July 29th, 2010
10:45 am
Michael Jenkins is a phenomenon. How can you be on the field that much and never produce?
mike Jay
July 29th, 2010
10:47 am
The excess baggage was not worth disrupting a harmoninous locker room for what would be a 3rd receiver. Plus it would take away from the development of the young recievers. Pretty simple and easy decision.
mike Jay
July 29th, 2010
10:49 am
Doh. Shultz beat me to it! Guess that’s why he get’s paid the big bucks and I am just here avoiding work.
mike Jay
July 29th, 2010
10:50 am
Unconcerned,
Take it easy buddy. TO wasactually nto a distraction at all in Buffalo so it wasworth a discussion at least.
mike Jay
July 29th, 2010
10:50 am
Oh andTO has neverbeen arrested he is just a pain in the a**. Big difference.
Sid
July 29th, 2010
10:51 am
Jeff, man you got me roflmao…………..this conversation was tongue in cheek fodder to bring a smile whilst the off season day to day grind. Falcons open training camp and this is your report?? What you writin’ about D. Orlando………..!!
FalconUGAFan
July 29th, 2010
10:54 am
Jeff, I wonder if this was simply due diligence? Do they typically meet to discuss other available free agents on a regular basis or was this a TO summit?
Tucker T
July 29th, 2010
10:56 am
T.O.? Oh No! Stay away!
ReddJonn68
July 29th, 2010
10:56 am
I hear ya loud & clear Jeff. I don’t disagree with any points made about Crybaby T.O. at all, he’s not the answer. My stance is first of all is Michael Jenkins a valid # 2 wr & secondly how can you be ” still developing ” after playing 7 seasons in the NFL !!!!!!!
mike Jay
July 29th, 2010
11:09 am
Red,
I noticed that ’still devolping’ line as well and chuckled. If jenkins had about 3-4 more TD’s last year he would have been a solid #2 with 50 + catches.
Sid
July 29th, 2010
11:31 am
By the way, just FYI, http://www.footballoutsiders.com has Jenkins ahead of TO and among the top 50 receivers.
Lee
July 29th, 2010
11:31 am
Poor Matt Ryan. The Flacons have the next Tom Brady, and an owner that’s too cheap to go out and get him some top WR’s.
Ellis
July 29th, 2010
11:33 am
Blank seemed to say, because of DEPTH at WR, they didn’t pursue TO. I didn’t get, from Blank’s comments, anything about LIKELY “locker room issues”. That’s putting words in Blank’s mouth.
Fun Guy
July 29th, 2010
11:34 am
TO’s work ethic is 2nd to none. Maybe that would have rubbed off on some Falcons.
Uncle C
July 29th, 2010
11:37 am
Owens works hard, clean off the field, will go down as one of the most productive receivers to ever play. Owens does like to get a little attention, especially when things are going his way. It’s an old way to break a contract. But not illegal.
droopydawg
July 29th, 2010
11:45 am
Comparing TO to Vick is asinine. TO may be a bad teammate and even locker room cancer, but he is not a bad person. He has never been arrested, never been involved in a shooting, etc. He is not even in the same stratosphere as Vick, Plaxico, Tank Johnson, Pacman Jones, or even someone like Ricky Williams or Darren McFadden. He is a charitable guy too, he just has a massive ego. ESPN loves to play up every crazy comment he makes because it feeds into their pre-established storyline about him. Unfortunately, most people are not all that smart and do not watch the news (or even sports news) with a critical eye. His “badness” is different in kind and degree from the actual criminals, gangstas, and thugs that populate many rosters in all sports. Political types have a meme that explains the shoddiness of political reporting in the media: “Drudge Rules our World” well most of these comments prove that “ESPN Storylines Run our World.”
Besides, beyond Roddy, the Falcons have an atrocious receiving corps and if TO were willing to be more of a possession receiver than a first-check receiver, he could have been a big improvement for the Falcons.
CoryBoulder
July 29th, 2010
11:48 am
As TOs career gets closer to the end many people should start asking, and I dont know why no one to date has brought it up, has TO done enough to make the HOF. I think the answer is YES. TO has one of the top 5 most prolific careers at the wide receiver position in NFL history. The answer should be a resounding YES that he has hall of fame credentials. However, with all of his problems that TO has had on and off the field, TO might not be voted in because of his constant antics, mood swings, eruptions and disruptions over the course of his career. TO has always been thought of as a “problem child” and therefore might not ever get in. Think of it, if Chris Carter is having trouble getting in Canton with his illustrious career, TO might never ever get in and the hall of fame would certainly be more sanitized without TO on the inside looking out. I hope TO gets in but only time will tell. I think Terrell deserves to get enshrined eventually because he has worked hard to carve out a brilliant career for himself. Owens is an obnoxious athlete but no one could ever question his work ethic and production on the field. The numbers speak for themselves.
droopydawg
July 29th, 2010
11:49 am
Unconcerned: what is your definition of high character? Posting comments on a blog shows a certain level of “look at me-ness” and the narcissism of which we are all guilty that what we think is actually important. The only difference between you and TO is that TO has massive talent and a larger megaphone through which to satisfy his ego.
Again, he is not even remotely a criminal or gang-associated athlete, and he is one of the most charitable athletes in the NFL (he is not Warrick Dunn, but somewhat close).
droopydawg
July 29th, 2010
11:51 am
Fun Guy and Uncle C also made a point I should have: His drive, determination, hustle, effort, and desire to excel and win have also never been questioned.
JTH
July 29th, 2010
11:51 am
Thank goodness Management is no longer is the Beverly Hillbillies, oops I mean the Smiths because this is the kind of crap they used to do. Terrel Owens really?
Jeff is Bored !
July 29th, 2010
11:56 am
OOOHHH_OOOOHHHHH
Rise Up !
Boo the Falcons!!!
July 29th, 2010
12:03 pm
BOOOOOO!!!!! For not sighing TO!
Falcons will finsih 4 – 12!
Sonny Clusters
July 29th, 2010
12:03 pm
The Falcons don’t need T.O. All they have to do is start calling Michael Jenkins, M.J. or maybe Roddy White, R.W. and let them showboat a little and then the Falcons will have their own T.O. Arthur can have them over to the house and they can roast a pig and drink beer and malt liquor and some Perrier and ride Arthur’s horse.
Jeff Schultz
July 29th, 2010
12:23 pm
FalconUGAFan — I’m not sure it was a “summit” or even completely “due diligence.” There’s no secrets about TO. The question is: Is he worth it?
Jeff Schultz
July 29th, 2010
12:24 pm
ReddJonn68 — Yeah, that quote jumped out at me to. But I let it go. Jenkins has a lot to prove. Frankly surprised he was brought back.
Jeff Schultz
July 29th, 2010
12:26 pm
TO ALL: Don’t be certain the wide receiver position is set. That’s one position where guys always pop free as teams make cuts during preseason. Falcons could still make a move there.
TDub
July 29th, 2010
12:30 pm
I have a record of the conversation:
Blank: “Do you think we should get T.O.?”
Dimitroff: “No.”
Blank: “Ok then.”
Andy
July 29th, 2010
12:31 pm
T.O. = Knucklehead!
TDub
July 29th, 2010
12:34 pm
People who think that all this team needs is T.O. to win the Superbowl remind me of the drooling rednecks on the Braves blog who thought that John Rocker was the best closer we’ve ever had because he “brought fire to the team.”
Mark (another one)
July 29th, 2010
12:37 pm
Jeff – I think FalconUGAFan’s point is in response to the reaction of some that the Falcons were even discussing TO. They should never just dismiss a free agent, potential hall of famer without at least a discussion. What would they do if they suddenly heard Brady was available? Wouldn’t they at least discuss the possibility?
I would think that in their business they discuss the possibility of almost all free agents with an eye to upgrading their team. Call it due diligence (also defined as what would a prudent person do) or smart management. I keep an eye out for strong people in my industry who become disenchanted at their current positions, to see if I can upgrade my staff. I also keep an upgrade spot in mind so I can move quickly. This is not unusual in management as the enemy of the great is the good.
Pat
July 29th, 2010
12:42 pm
If they didn’t at least talk about it they wouldn’t have been doing their job.
Glad he isn’t here though.
PMC
July 29th, 2010
12:42 pm
They could definately stand to upgrade opposite Roddy White.
ROD
July 29th, 2010
12:51 pm
This organization will never win anything, because they are looking for character players. Will if they are trying to do that, why do they have a player or players who hit their wives or girlfriend. I’m tired of hearing about character players. Yeah we know T.O. had some issues, but it’s not a Mike Vick issue or like some of the players I’ve mention above. Believe me when I say this, they are going to regret this decision. Arthur Blanks will never, ever win a SuperBowl. Mike Jenkins, are you all kidding me. Harold D. might not be fully recovered. This guy is a Hall of Famer, and he’s 90 percent better than the rest of the Falcons receivers. Put him and Roddy together, would have open the field up for everyone else. Oh well, now Matt Ryan will keep doing what he did last year, throw more interceptions. Wake up Mr. Blanks, and see how many Superbowls the Cowboys, Steelers, Patriots, etc have., and tell me how many the Falcons have. We need to stop judging, and look in the mirror. We all had issues where we could have been let go on our JOB. Well ATL, I guess we will be 8-8 or 9-7 at best. Get rid of Thomas D, and tell Arthur Blanks to fire himself.
POAD
July 29th, 2010
1:04 pm
Thank GOD the Falcons didn’t make that mistake. Didn’t TO say he was going after Halle Berry? If he would bring Halle back to Atlanta with him I might consider the TO troubles slightly worth it.
SEC4Life
July 29th, 2010
1:07 pm
I still think T.O. can put up good numbers, but I think this was a good move by the Birds. Young QB’s aren’t mentally strong enough to put up with his antics.
All that being said, I STILL don’t feel 100% safe with the receiving corps as it stands now. Gonzalez can hold his own, but I’m not jumping on the R. White bandwagon just yet.
Grady Jackson Barber Shop
July 29th, 2010
1:09 pm
*
The Falcons should have drafted Jonathan Dwyer.
Jesse James
July 29th, 2010
1:11 pm
Thank God the Falcons didn’t sign him. What an idiot! I can’t believe any team would want him and the baggage he brings.
Lee
July 29th, 2010
1:12 pm
New Engalnd has a great QB, so do the Falcons.
But, NE has 2, top 10 WR’s, Welker & Moss.
Falcons have 1 top 40 WR.
Blank needs to get Ryan another top 10 WR, spend the money, get him, and start winning some playoff games.
Jon
July 29th, 2010
1:17 pm
The people comparing Vick to TO are arguably dumber than both of them combined.
KenProctor
July 29th, 2010
1:19 pm
Who cares about TO? All I want to know is if Andy Reid is going to name MIKE VICK as his starting quarterback for the Eagles this year. Thats all I care about. MV7 is about to become top dog in Philly. I think the move to bring Vick in in the first place to give Vick a second chance at starting quarterback and to force McNabb out. McNabb has been forced out so I think its about time for Vick to step back into the starters position and become a full fledge starting quarterback in the NFL. I predicted it would happen and I think its only days away from happening. The announcement will come probably a few days before the regular season commences. Mike Vick is back in a big way in the NFL.
Jesse James
July 29th, 2010
1:20 pm
TO isn’t the answer to anything!
GonzoPalmeter
July 29th, 2010
1:23 pm
TO = Terrifyingly Obnoxious
FalconUGAFan
July 29th, 2010
1:26 pm
@Mark (another one) You nailed my point exactly. I would think they would always discuss anyone that comes on the market. Thus, your point and mine about due diligence. You have to look at the pros and cons of each and every potential candidate. I am curious if they do this on a regular basis. TD strikes me as someone that does that very thing.
Jesse James
July 29th, 2010
1:29 pm
TO doesn’t deserve anybodies attention. It is a shame he doesn’t play in the NBA, he could team up with Lebron. Oh never mind you would need two balls.
machodonkeywrestler
July 29th, 2010
1:45 pm
Jenkins actually did a pretty good job until last year. I just don’t know what happened 2009-2010.
BigHittas
July 29th, 2010
1:52 pm
I’m not a big Jenkins fan, but I can’t help but wonder if reality doesn’t meet perception in his case.
“Chicago rallied from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to take a one-point lead on Kyle Orton’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Rashied Davis with 11 seconds left. Ryan responded with a 26-yard completion to Michael Jenkins that set up Jason Elam’s 48-yard field goal as time expired.”
He has made some big catches and of course has seemingly dropped too many. Is he really that bad? Anyone know how his stats compare? I too am puzzled by Blank referring to him as a developing talent? Weird.
Glad they passed on TO.
BigHittas
July 29th, 2010
1:56 pm
LOL Lee,
I appreciate how you shape your argument. Actually Atlanta has a top 3 receiver.
Kirby Smart
July 29th, 2010
1:57 pm
Just hire me and I will make sure the Falcon make it to the Super Bowl.
I am the best coach ever!
PWL
July 29th, 2010
1:58 pm
Kirby is right…he is the best.
suwaneefalcon
July 29th, 2010
3:12 pm
Discussed it and did not do it. Wise decision by the front office.
sunny purdue
July 29th, 2010
3:21 pm
Do you get paid to write this stuff?
Najeh Davenpoop
July 29th, 2010
3:31 pm
As far as wins and losses are concerned, presence in the locker room has a much more direct impact than off field misdeeds.
Also, for those complaining about the Falcons’ supposedpy atrocious receivers, doesn’t the greates tight end of all time play for the Falcons? Between Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez, Matt Ryan has more to work with than at least half the league’s quarterbacks.
Roy Oswalt going to Phillies, and Braves need to respond (UPDATED) | Jeff Schultz
July 29th, 2010
4:52 pm
[...] ♦ Falcons discussed bringing in Terrell Owens, Blank says [...]
HollywoodHenderson
July 29th, 2010
5:05 pm
Glad they passed on MR. ZERO.. TO adds nothing to an NFL roster. TO is a cancer that destroys the team he eventually plays for. Every time TO is added to roster you are getting absolutely nothing. You could look at TOs intials and it means the same thing. TO means a tiny zero or total zero (TO) which means he ADDS NOTHING to any situation he is associated or affiliated with.
Blank says Falcons are playoff team again (and maybe more) | Jeff Schultz
July 29th, 2010
6:48 pm
[...] done an outstanding job over the first three years, building this roster together. It’s all been very well calculated, well thought out. This isn’t like five-card draw [poker] where you can just put all your cards back and get new [...]
Monduj1
July 29th, 2010
8:35 pm
ROD – You’re obviously an Aint’s fan or just terribly uninformed. First of all, the owner of the Falcons is Arthur Blank – not “Blanks”. Secondly, T.O. will certainly be inducted into the HOF one day, probably in the next 6-7 years. But you’re delusional if you think he’s better than Tony Gonzalez, another future HOF’er. That’s right, both Roddy and TG would be above T.O. in the pecking order. Which means you have to compare him to HD or Jenkins for our true #3. I’ll take a young, explosive HD (even with the question marks of his health) over an elderly, slow-footed, pass-dropping, and inevitable virus in T.O. every day of the week. Jenkins too is younger, faster, and a better run blocker. And as for your argument against striving for character, how in the world could you include Pittsburgh in that statement? Are you kidding me? The Roonies send bad characters packing at the drop of the hat. Yeah, I know Big Ben is still a Steeler, but his days are numbered in Pittsburgh and you can take that to the bank. The only reason he hasn’t been cut is because they want to get something of value in return an can’t because of his suspension. He’ll be in a new uniform next year.
Lee – Roddy White is only a Top 40 WR??? Funny, I seem to see his name in the Top 10 of most categories last year. And you too seem to forget about Tony Gonzalez, whose numbers would have put him in the Top 30 of combined WR+TEs. I’m not sure what you’re using as a gauge for your definition of “Top 10 WR”, but I’m guessing it’s receptions and yards. Welker had lots of both, but only 4 TDs. And adding T.O. wouldn’t change a thing, as he wasn’t a “Top 10 WR” last year either, and I don’t see him being one this year.
I also agree with Jeff that just because we passed on The Mouth doesn’t mean we won’t be bringing another good WR on board in the next 4-5 weeks.
Kris G
July 31st, 2010
7:28 am
I don’t want T.O., but I love the fact that long after the Vick debacle, this team will consider it. To me, that says it’s no longer about ego or image, it’s about WINNING. We SHOULD at least CONSIDER bringing in a talent like T.O. when he’s available at half price. But I agree with the final decision, which is we got enough talent at that position. BTW, if it was Randy Moss ready to come in cheap, I’d have taken him.