Get Ya Popcorn Ready
Terrell Owens has not had the off-field career a typical future Hall of Fame wide receiver has. The man has talent, he has experience, but most of all the man has attitude.
Owens’ last reception in the NFL was on Dec. 12, 2010 for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Since then he has managed to have extensive knee surgery, put on a tryout for a crowd of precisely zero, and get kicked off of the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football league for reportedly skipping a charity event at a local hospital.
With this repertoire as of late, many bode the question “Why did the Seattle Seahawks take the risk?”
One word. Production.
Owens may be an annoyance, a “cancer,” a distraction, or any other degrading title he has received in the past. But you can’t deny the production he has had throughout his career (2nd all-time in rec. yards and rec. touchdowns).
His workout for the Seattle Seahawks on Monday could be looked at as a desperate move on Pete Carroll’s part. And it may be, but looking at the Hawks’ receiving core leaves reasoning for desperate moves.
The most experienced receiver on the Seahawks’ roster is recent addidtion Braylon Edwards, who has yet to provide consistency in his NFL career.
Other than Edwards, the only receiver with respectable NFL experience is Sidney Rice. Until Rice can withstand a slight breeze without hitting the IR, I’m not going to consider him a true threat.
These are the reasons bringing Owens into Seattle isn’t the worst move for the Seahawks.
Time will tell if the 4.45 fast TO is a great target for a young quarterback to throw to. (Photo Credit Blog.Seahawks.com)
Owens posted a 4.5 40-yard-dash during his workout on Monday.
That deserves consideration alone.
Handling Owens’ attitude does not worry me one bit. Pete Carroll dealt with head cases constantly at USC. He has done a great job with Marshawn Lynch keeping his Beast Mode mentality on the field, not off (DUI aside). Carroll can handle the drama, but can Matt Flynn?
I say Flynn because I truly believe he will be the starter for the Seahawks come week 1. And with a first-time starter at the helm, the last player I would want in the huddle with my easily-influenced quarterback is Terrell Owens.
As long as Owens can keep his thoughts to himself, and remain silent after a snap where he believed “he was open,” I think this could be a potentially great pick-up for the unproven Seahawks receiving core.
And without a doubt a great target for a young quarterback to throw to.
Weapons
Paired up with Rice, along with Zach Miller and Kellen Winslow at the tight-end positions, the term “towers” comes to mind. Flynn will have his safety nets, no doubt about that.
Most importantly, the one-year $1 million deal is a small price to pay for the once elite receiver. The possible reward greatly outweighs the risk.
If Owens can keep his mind between the sidelines and buy into Carroll’s system, there is a potentially potent weapon in the Seahawk’s passing game.
Words that are are rarely spoken above a whisper.
In a perfect world, Owens becomes a reliable target for the young Matt Flynn and nothing more.
But we all know the world is far from perfect, so in the words of TO, “Get ya popcorn ready.”
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