Sources say Cowboys release Terrell Owens
Three straight 1000-yard seasons and double digit touchdowns. A name the entire world knows. And in the middle of the night, reports were flying that the Dallas Cowboys have released wide receiver Terrell Owens.
The Cowboys website has a report citing other reports, but don’t confirm or deny the reports.
The reports the Cowboys cite come from ESPN, where “sources” have told ESPN Owens is gone.
No reason not to believe the reports. This has kind of been stirring for weeks, if not months, ever since reports broke that Owens, Jason Witten and Tony Romo weren’t seeing eye-to-eye.
Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones waited and waited before he finally realized this week, something had to give.
He had committed himself to Wade Phillips (why? No one knows for sure, but my best guess is Wade has some type of blackmail material over Jerry). A lot of people in Dallas circles believed Phillips’ was just a pawn of a head coach while Jason Garrett got ready to take over. A belief fueled when Garrett was given one of the largest contracts for an assistant coach. But last season, it became obvious Garrett’s offense had issues, and thus Garrett wasn’t ready to be a head coach, and Owens was critical of Garrett’s play calling.
Something had to give. Jones wasn’t going to give up on Garrett, Phillips, Romo or Witten, so it finally became obvious that Owens was the scapegoat.
But Jones’ delay is making the Cowboys’ issues bigger. Now who is the go to guy? Love Owens or hate him, when you needed him, he came through. He dropped his share of open passes, but for a clutch receiver he was the man.
Now the world gets to see how good these other guys are. Is Romo really a solid QB? Can Garrett’s offenses work without TO? Can Roy Williams be a viable option? Crayton? If not, how good will Witten be?
There’s a lot more to be explored here, like how Owens feels betrayed by the Cowboys. After all, after a troubled past in San Francisco and Philadelphia, the Cowboys offered him a chance, and he was happy in Dallas, saying he wanted to retire a Cowboy. Who will pick him up? Who can afford him?
And can Dallas afford to be without him?
Owens isn’t as good as he used to be, but he’s still a good receiver with a few good years left in him. The Cowboys are just hoping that those good years he has don’t come back to hurt them.
And regardless of how better or worse Dallas becomes, the bottom line is this — the Cowboys will win at least as many playoff games this year without Owens as they did the entire three years Owens was there.
