DONE DEAL...

[Jersey1031]

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news.cfm?id=0AA99FCF-E052-0B98-C9620525F11B9854

IRVING, Texas - The worst-kept secret is about to be spilled.

The Cowboys have called a 2:30 p.m. (CST) press conference Saturday afternoon here at Valley Ranch in the midst of reports claiming they already have closed a deal with free-agent wide receiver Terrell Owens. The press conference will be carried live on DallasCowboys.com.

Cowboys officials did not say what the press conference was for, but it would appear Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is set to confirm a deal with the tempestuous wide receiver who, along with his agent Drew Rosenhaus, has managed to keep quiet about any impending deal since free agency began a week ago.

Even though Owens officially was released by the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this week, he has been linked to the Cowboys for several months. And speculation rose even higher this week when not only did Philadelphia cut the outlandish wide receiver following last seasons disruptive antics, but the Cowboys also waived Keyshawn Johnson to avoid a $1 million roster bonus and a potential difficult contract renegotiation.

Parting ways with Johnson immediately made the wide receiver position a top priority for the Cowboys, especially with the free-agent receiving crop starting to dwindle. And Owens, naturally, was the most talent wide receiver available in free agency.

Despite turning 32 in December, Owens is a proven playmaker. He has 716 career catches for, 10,315 yards and 101 touchdowns. And although he played in only seven games last year for the Eagles, he still led the team in receiving yards (763) and touchdown catches (six). And don't forget his 14 touchdown receptions in 2004 for Philadelphia, helping to lead the Eagles to their fourth consecutive NFC title-game appearance. Owens displayed amazing recuperative powers by returning from the broken ankle he suffered against the Cowboys to play amazingly well in the Super Bowl, catching nine passes for 122 yards.

He also brings a rare combination of size and speed, not to mention play-making ability. Owens had a 91-yard touchdown catch last season and has 40 career catches of 40 yards or more.

But with all this comes his infamous baggage. After eight seasons in San Francisco, the 49ers traded him to Philadelphia after Owens publicly asked to be traded and wiggled his way out of a trade first to Baltimore.

That did earn Owens the contract he desired, but he became disenchanted this past year when the Eagles would not renegotiate after sinking nearly $13.5 million into him that first season. He eventually threatened to hold out in training camp and when he finally reported, he was quickly sent home a week later by Eagles head coach Andy Reid after being disruptive in practice and in team meetings.

Once the season started, Owens and quarterback Donovan McNabb continued their ongoing feud, mostly through the media. Owens publicly agreed with Michael Irvin's comments that Brett Favre would be a better fit as the Eagles quarterback than McNabb.

And after a locker-room fight between Owens and team consultant Hugh Douglas, the Eagles finally suspended Owens for four games. That suspension was upheld after the NFL Players Association filed a grievance. Owens never played another snap for the Eagles, who deactivated Owens for the remaining four games of the season following the four-game suspension.

So with all that, would the Cowboys still want him?

Evidently, yes.

[Jersey1031]

A star is born: Owens signs with the Cowboys

IRVING, Texas -- Terrell Owens has gone from stomping on the Dallas Cowboys' star logo to wearing it on his helmet.

Terrell Owens
Wide Receiver
Philadelphia Eagles

Profile
2005 SEASON STATISTICS
Rec Yds TD Avg Long YAC
47 763 6 16.2 91 337

The reviled receiver joined the Cowboys on Saturday, signing a contract to play for Jerry Jones and Bill Parcells in what promises to be an interesting combination of strong personalities.

There's no questioning his talent -- Owens has consistently put up numbers the Cowboys have lacked since Michael Irvin was in the prime of his career a decade ago.

It's his attitude that prompted the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles to get rid of Owens. His relationship with the Eagles soured only months after he led them to the Super Bowl, finally ending with his release Tuesday.

Details of his contract weren't immediately available, but it was likely to include behavior-related provisions. His blowup with Philadelphia last season even led to new rules regarding punishment being written into the NFL's latest collective bargaining agreement.

Jones, who built a billion-dollar fortune by taking big risks, is willing to take this one because the Cowboys have gone nine years without winning a playoff game.

Part of the gamble is that fans will warm up to Owens, who launched his flamboyant persona in September 2000 when as a member of the 49ers he celebrated each of two touchdown catches at Texas Stadium by running to the team's star logo at midfield. Safety George Teague secured a spot in team lore by decking Owens after the second one.

On a Monday night game in 2004 best remembered for his pregame skit with a "Desperate Housewives" actress, Owens celebrated another score by tapping on a logo in the end zone.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2374189

[SquishDaFish]

Good for them.

[Jersey1031]

As much bad that comes with the name of Terrell Owens, I don't think there is any better playmaker in the game...

[TacklingDummy]

The Cowboy's don't care that TO disrespected them not 1, not 2, but 3 times by standing on their star after a TD.

And Bills fans complain that TO has a bad attitude and they should not try and sign him.

Yeah, why sign a great WR? We just signed Andre Davis!!!! Andre Davis has potential.

[Jersey1031]

Owens' contract could net him record money

The contract that Terrell Owens signed with the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday provides him the opportunity to be one of the highest-paid wide receivers in NFL history over a three-year period, and the chance to earn more than he would have under his contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, ESPN.com has learned.

Terrell Owens
Wide Receiver
Philadelphia Eagles

Profile
2005 SEASON STATISTICS
Rec Yds TD Avg Long YAC
47 763 6 16.2 91 337

The three-year contract can be worth as much as $25 million if Owens plays through the deal and Dallas opts to pay him pricey roster bonuses in the springs of 2007 and 2008.

Owens, who was released by the Eagles on Tuesday, will earn a bonus of $5 million for this season and a base salary of $5 million, for total compensation of $10 million.

Dallas must then pay Owens a roster bonus of $3 million in March 2007 to retain him for that season, at a base salary of $5 million. There is another roster bonus of $3 million due in March 2008, and Owens has a base salary of $4 million for that year.

Under the terms of the seven-year, $49 million contract that Owens signed with Philadelphia after being traded to the Eagles in 2004, he would have earned $20.27 million for the 2006-2008 seasons. So there is the potential, should the contract with the Cowboys remain intact, for Owens to make nearly $5 million more in Dallas than he would have with the Eagles.

Compared to the contracts of other high-profile wide receivers leaguewide, Owens can earn more over a three-year period than Randy Moss of Oakland did with his recent deal, and more over two seasons than Indianapolis' Marvin Harrison did with his new contract signed two years ago.

Of course, as was the case in Philadelphia, Owens' earning potential will be tied to his performance on and off the field. Because of the roster bonus, and the exercise dates of each, the contract in Dallas could be as short as one season. Even at one year, however, the $10 million that Owens will bank is more than some skeptics felt he could garner after his tumultuous 2005 season.

And if Owens is productive, and is not a distraction, the Cowboys seem to have the wherewithal and the future salary cap space to retain him for all three seasons of the contract.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2374225

[ublinkwescore]

good, let the cowgirls take a fat cap hit, and deal with lockerroom distractions - Bill Parcells and him will not coexist very long.

[Jersey1031]

good, let the cowgirls take a fat cap hit, and deal with lockerroom distractions - Bill Parcells and him will not coexist very long.


If they're winning they will...

[The_Philster]

The Cowboy's don't care that TO disrespected them not 1, not 2, but 3 times by standing on their star after a TD.

And Bills fans complain that TO has a bad attitude and they should not try and sign him.

Yeah, why sign a great WR? We just signed Andre Davis!!!! Andre Davis has potential.
The Cowboys have a history of having troublemakers and law breakers on their teams..remember Michael Irvin and Leon Lett? To expect the Bills to bring in TO is to show you have no respect for Levy
"talent without character loses you games"

You can have talent and still have character players...they aren't mutually exclusive

[lynobx]

Yeah, like I want to purposely give myself cancer.

[Mr. Miyagi]

Yeah, like I want to purposely give myself cancer.
Not only that, they're paying big money for it too.

[The_Philster]

Yeah, like I want to purposely give myself cancer.
so we know you're not a smoker now :lol:

[Jersey1031]

Granted the cancer, but I think everyone's forgetting how good a football player he is, and how badly you'll want him to be on your fantasy football teams. Don't lie, you know it's true.

[The_Philster]

players who are a disruption in the locker room either don't contribute very well or cause teammates to fail to contribute

[Jersey1031]

Fail to contibute? Lets see last season he had 6 tds in the 8 games he played

...The Superbowl Year. Which by the way he played in while being injured still, remember...

Receiving Stats
YEAR TEAM G REC YDS AVG LNG TD FD FUM LOST

2004 PHI 14 77 1200 15.6 59 14 51 2 1


I'm not saying i like what he does off the field, but i definitley respect what he does on the field. Sometimes more important...

[The_Philster]

Fail to contibute? Lets see last season he had 6 tds in the 8 games he played

...The Superbowl Year. Which by the way he played in while being injured still, remember...

Receiving Stats
YEAR TEAM G REC YDS AVG LNG TD FD FUM LOST

2004 PHI 14 77 1200 15.6 59 14 51 2 1


I'm not saying what he does off the field, but i definitley respect what he does on the field. Sometimes more important...

or cause teammates to fail to contribute<!-- / message -->

[Jersey1031]

Here's Donovan's numbers...

Passing Stats
YEAR TEAM G CMP ATT PCT YDS AVG TD LNG INT RAT

2004 PHI 15 300 469 64.0 3875 8.3 31 80 8 104.7

[The_Philster]

McNabb wasn't his only teammate and TO was there for part of 2005

[Jersey1031]

Okay...as a team they rushed for over 1500 yards and had 10 tds

Defense - 47 sacks, 17 ints, 16 ff

[Jersey1031]

They went to the Super Bowl!!

[Jersey1031]

Again, I'm not saying I like what he does off the field, or even the person he is... but i definitley respect what he does on the field, because he can flat out play football.

[The_Philster]

They went to the Super Bowl!!
TO didn't play in any of those playoff games, either...and you still haven't answered the 2005 point

[The_Philster]

Again, I'm not saying I like what he does off the field, or even the person he is... but i definitley respect what he does on the field, because he can flat out play football.
well, hell will freeze over before he's welcome in Buffalo. I'll push him over the Falls myself...of course Marv Levy may push me out of the way to do it himself..:lol:

[Jersey1031]

Im not trying to argue with you bro, I just think he's a playmaker. And who doesn't love his touchdown dances!?

[The_Philster]

Im not trying to argue with you bro, I just think he's a playmaker. And who doesn't love his touchdown dances!?
I don't...he's a jiveass..a little bit of fun is fine...but he tries to make it look like it was all him

[Jersey1031]

he's a jiveass..


hah

to each his own...

[The_Philster]

hah

to each his own...
well, I'm kinda old school...have a lot of respect for Marv Levy "act as if you've been there before"

[Mr. Pink]

well, I'm kinda old school...have a lot of respect for Marv Levy "act as if you've been there before"

Hmmm "old school" you mean when the NFL actually allowed celebrations and didn't frown upon them? When you had Billy "white shoes" Johnson doing dance after dance? Mark Gastineau and his sack dances? TO would have been fine with his celebrations if he was around 20 years ago he just came into the No Fun League at the wrong time.

[TacklingDummy]

To expect the Bills to bring in TO is to show you have no respect for Levy
"talent without character loses you games"


Character with no talent doesn't win you many games.

I would of loved for the Bills to bring in TO. It would have been the second Bills jersey I ever bought.

There's not a player on this team right now I'd go out and buy a jersey of.

[The_Philster]

Character with no talent doesn't win you many games.

I would of loved for the Bills to bring in TO. It would have been the second Bills jersey I ever bought.

There's not a player on this team right now I'd go out and buy a jersey of.
so you're saying that character players can't have talent?

I guess Jerry Rice, Walter Payton, Darryl Talley...all sucked then :shakeno:
They aren't mutually exclusive...you can have both

[Mr. Pink]

so you're saying that character players can't have talent?

I guess Jerry Rice, Walter Payton, Darryl Talley...all sucked then :shakeno:
They aren't mutually exclusive...you can have both


Then by your math.....
Jim Brown, Lawrence Taylor, Bruce Smith....all sucked then too :shakeno:
It's up to the coaches to keep these guys egos in check so that their talent can shine on game day.

[TacklingDummy]

so you're saying that character players can't have talent?

I guess Jerry Rice, Walter Payton, Darryl Talley...all sucked then :shakeno:
They aren't mutually exclusive...you can have both

No, what I am saying is, I don't care what TO did while he was in Philly or SF. It means nothing to me as a Bills fan.

If Dallas can get over TO disrespecting them why couldn't the Bills get over TO doing nothing to the Bills?

TO is hardly a Saint. But what he has done is really not that big of deal, it's not like he's a drug user (Bruce Smith), has domestic problems (Moulds, Kevin Thomas, im sure a few others), tries to pick up underage girls at gas stations (Travis Henry), alcoholic (T. Thomas).

[The_Philster]

Then by your math.....
Jim Brown, Lawrence Taylor, Bruce Smith....all sucked then too :shakeno:

:huh: I never said anything even remotely resembling that...read what I say before replying to it, please

[Mr. Pink]

No just going by character guys can't have talent....so i played devils advocate and went the other way in the same equation you set up. It's really not that difficult to follow or grasp really.

[The_Philster]

No just going by character guys can't have talent....so i played devils advocate and went the other way in the same equation you set up. It's really not that difficult to follow or grasp really.
I stated pretty clearly that character and talent are mutually exclusive...don't be saying that you're going by my math when you're making something up out of thin air

[Mr. Pink]

And the point here Phil is you can have talent, have plenty of "character issues" and still NOT be a detriment to your team. In fact you can be quite the opposite you can be the KEY integral part of your team. Hell, it can even make you the best player in the very history of this league, ie Jim Brown. It can make you be the VERY player who redefined the way a position was played, ie. Lawrence Taylor.

[The_Philster]

true..that's possible...but TO has proven to be too big a distraction...or else he wouldn't have been suspended and then declared inactive after the suspension was done

[TacklingDummy]

Going by character, I'd much rather have TO then Jim Brown or LT on my team.

TO is a Saint compared to LT and Jim Brown on non-football issues.