T.O iz gone
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The Way We Hear It
Oct. 6, 2003
Has volatile WR Terrell Owens become a “sickness” that threatens to ruin the Niners’ season, as was suggested by 49ers QB Jeff Garcia early last week in the wake of Owens’ embarrassing sideline outbursts during San Francisco’s lopsided Week Four loss to the 49ers?
Hard as it might be to fathom for many pro football observers, the answer is: not really.
There’s no doubt that the relationship between Owens and Garcia couldn’t be more icy, and that there are some 49ers players who would prefer the Niners cut the cord with Owens sooner than later (you can put Garcia and C Jeremy Newberry at the top of the list).
Truth be told, though, Owens has just as many teammates who either feel his recent tirades are no big deal (most notably younger WRs such as Cedrick Wilson and Brandon Lloyd), or that his actions have been greatly overblown by the media (OLT Derrick Deese and OLB Jamie Winborn among others).
Our sources on the scene told us Owens went out of his way last week to mend fences, in addition to having his best week of practice in some time. There’s strong reason to believe, that, at the behest of his agent, David Joseph, Owens will make a conscious effort the remainder of the season to let his actions on the field speak louder than his words.
It should be noted that Owens has rebounded strongly after similar outbursts in the past, and that another rebound could actually bode well for the team’s future.
It’s also worth noting that the Niners’ financial situation regarding other imminent free agents isn’t as dire as initially perceived, taking into account the declining market value of free agents-to-be Ahmed Plummer, Jason Webster and John Engelberger and the very real possibility of designating the team’s most attractive free agent aside from Owens, LB Julian Peterson, with a franchise tag.
That said, the fact there continues to be no way to predict when Owens’ seemingly unmanageable and potentially destructive mood swings will take control of his body, leads most team insiders to believe that he will definitely be available on the open market at season’s end.
How attractive a commodity would Owens be on the open market?
The way we hear it, more than a few NFL personnel departments agree that Owens’ unpredictable personality could be a recipe for disaster.
Said one NFC personnel director: "In terms of talent, he's worth every last penny. But what a team must decide, on an individual, you know, case-by-case basis, is what the sideshow distractions are also worth.
“Personally, we talk a lot about handling adversity. Not having been there to experience what Terrell Owens is experiencing, I couldn't say for sure why he has reacted this way multiple times. But there is enough evidence that you can safely imply he isn't there for the team, he's there for Terrell Owens. We don't covet ‘me’ guys, but ‘we’ guys."
While it’s hard not to focus primarily on Terrell Owens’ future with the Niners, the team also faces a pivotal decision regarding its other starting wide receiver, Tai Streets, who, like Owens, is eligible for free agency at season’s end. According to our Bay Area sources, the general feeling is that if Streets, a native Chicagoan, had his druthers, he would prefer to move to a team closer to home. In a conversation with Pro Football Weekly last week, Streets was unwilling to open up on this subject, as well as the Niners’ recent offensive problems. There was one topic, though, that he was more than happy to discuss — his die-hard addiction to the Chicago Cubs. “That’s all I talk about these days,” Streets said. “I’ve been a huge Cubs fan since I first started following sports, around 1983, even though I grew up on the south side of Chicago. My all-time favorite Cub is (former catcher) Jody Davis.”
Oct. 6, 2003
Has volatile WR Terrell Owens become a “sickness” that threatens to ruin the Niners’ season, as was suggested by 49ers QB Jeff Garcia early last week in the wake of Owens’ embarrassing sideline outbursts during San Francisco’s lopsided Week Four loss to the 49ers?
Hard as it might be to fathom for many pro football observers, the answer is: not really.
There’s no doubt that the relationship between Owens and Garcia couldn’t be more icy, and that there are some 49ers players who would prefer the Niners cut the cord with Owens sooner than later (you can put Garcia and C Jeremy Newberry at the top of the list).
Truth be told, though, Owens has just as many teammates who either feel his recent tirades are no big deal (most notably younger WRs such as Cedrick Wilson and Brandon Lloyd), or that his actions have been greatly overblown by the media (OLT Derrick Deese and OLB Jamie Winborn among others).
Our sources on the scene told us Owens went out of his way last week to mend fences, in addition to having his best week of practice in some time. There’s strong reason to believe, that, at the behest of his agent, David Joseph, Owens will make a conscious effort the remainder of the season to let his actions on the field speak louder than his words.
It should be noted that Owens has rebounded strongly after similar outbursts in the past, and that another rebound could actually bode well for the team’s future.
It’s also worth noting that the Niners’ financial situation regarding other imminent free agents isn’t as dire as initially perceived, taking into account the declining market value of free agents-to-be Ahmed Plummer, Jason Webster and John Engelberger and the very real possibility of designating the team’s most attractive free agent aside from Owens, LB Julian Peterson, with a franchise tag.
That said, the fact there continues to be no way to predict when Owens’ seemingly unmanageable and potentially destructive mood swings will take control of his body, leads most team insiders to believe that he will definitely be available on the open market at season’s end.
How attractive a commodity would Owens be on the open market?
The way we hear it, more than a few NFL personnel departments agree that Owens’ unpredictable personality could be a recipe for disaster.
Said one NFC personnel director: "In terms of talent, he's worth every last penny. But what a team must decide, on an individual, you know, case-by-case basis, is what the sideshow distractions are also worth.
“Personally, we talk a lot about handling adversity. Not having been there to experience what Terrell Owens is experiencing, I couldn't say for sure why he has reacted this way multiple times. But there is enough evidence that you can safely imply he isn't there for the team, he's there for Terrell Owens. We don't covet ‘me’ guys, but ‘we’ guys."
While it’s hard not to focus primarily on Terrell Owens’ future with the Niners, the team also faces a pivotal decision regarding its other starting wide receiver, Tai Streets, who, like Owens, is eligible for free agency at season’s end. According to our Bay Area sources, the general feeling is that if Streets, a native Chicagoan, had his druthers, he would prefer to move to a team closer to home. In a conversation with Pro Football Weekly last week, Streets was unwilling to open up on this subject, as well as the Niners’ recent offensive problems. There was one topic, though, that he was more than happy to discuss — his die-hard addiction to the Chicago Cubs. “That’s all I talk about these days,” Streets said. “I’ve been a huge Cubs fan since I first started following sports, around 1983, even though I grew up on the south side of Chicago. My all-time favorite Cub is (former catcher) Jody Davis.”
Here is another good article.
49ers may have to let Owens leave
Glenn Dickey
Saturday, September 27, 2003
Terrell Owens, Julian Peterson and Ahmed Plummer can become free agents after this season, and the 49ers can't afford to keep all of them. Who will go? Almost certainly, Owens.
"We'd like to keep all of them," 49ers general manager Terry Donahue said.
"but the (salary cap) system is set up so you can't keep all your stars.''
Serious negotiations won't start until after the season because it would be foolish to strike a deal now with any of the players because they could get injured and the 49ers would be stuck.
The key player obviously is Owens. Because he's had more years to build up his reputation, he might be able to command a contract in free agency that would be as much as Peterson and Plummer combined. "We'll make every effort to negotiate a fair contract," Donahue said, "but if you spend too much in one area, it means you have to make cuts elsewhere."
There are three reasons Owens is likely to go:
-- If you have to make a choice, you build your defense first. Though Bill Walsh is known for his offensive system, it was his defense-oriented 1981 draft, which brought in Ronnie Lott, Eric Wright and Carlton Williamson, which started the 49ers on their run of five Super Bowl championships.
A good defense keeps a team in the game, and it's much more consistent than the offense. Though the 49ers' season so far has been disappointing, their defense has kept them in games, shutting out the Browns for three quarters and stifling the Rams in the first half in Week 2. If the offense had
scored just one more touchdown in the first half in St. Louis and one touchdown at any time last Sunday, the 49ers would be 3-0 .
The emphasis on speed in the draft has begun to pay off on defense. The 49ers are very close to the kind of defense that can dominate teams, and Peterson and Plummer are two vital cogs. The 49ers must keep them.
-- If you're building an offense, you start with the quarterback, not a wide receiver.
On an absolute scale, Owens is a better player than Jeff Garcia; he is probably the best wide receiver in the league and Garcia is not the best quarterback. On value, though, Garcia is way ahead.
The quarterback initiates the action, and Garcia can make plays even when nothing seems to be happening, with his arm or his feet -- or both. Nobody is better at scrambling when pass protection breaks down and still making a play.
As good as he is, Owens can be stopped. There are many times when he's the first option on a pass play but Garcia goes to another receiver because Owens is double-teamed. Owens obviously still has an effect because his double- teaming leaves other receivers in single coverage, but he can be stopped from making a big play. Garcia -- or any quarterback -- can't be, because he has the ball.
-- Owens is the very antithesis of the type of player Donahue likes.
Donahue wouldn't say this publicly, but it's obvious from the type of players he recruited in his 20 years as head coach at UCLA -- good, hard- working players who didn't make waves.
Owens is a load. His antics three years ago in the Dallas game got him suspended for a game, and he and coach Steve Mariucci had an uneasy relationship after that. Now, the 49ers have a new coach, Dennis Erickson, who is trying to downplay Owens' constant outbursts and complaints about not seeing the ball, but that can be wearing on a coach and the team.
Some teams handle this kind of player better than others. The Raiders are the obvious example; over the years, they've had a number of players labeled troublemakers by other teams who have been an important part of their success.
The 49ers, though, have tried for a different profile. Their top players -- Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Lott, Steve Young, Roger Craig -- have all been hard-working, dedicated players who were not overly demonstrative, and who certainly never complained about not being a big enough part of the team.
The 49ers were pioneers in the field of psychological profiles, with Dr. Harry Edwards, and they've tried for the kind of players who fit well into the team. They've traded players who didn't. The most prominent example is Charles Haley, who was traded because the 49ers felt he was a disruptive force.
Owens is closer in personality to Haley than to the other 49er stars, and that's still another reason they'll let him go. He's a very good player, but keeping him wouldn't make sense.
49ers may have to let Owens leave
Glenn Dickey
Saturday, September 27, 2003
Terrell Owens, Julian Peterson and Ahmed Plummer can become free agents after this season, and the 49ers can't afford to keep all of them. Who will go? Almost certainly, Owens.
"We'd like to keep all of them," 49ers general manager Terry Donahue said.
"but the (salary cap) system is set up so you can't keep all your stars.''
Serious negotiations won't start until after the season because it would be foolish to strike a deal now with any of the players because they could get injured and the 49ers would be stuck.
The key player obviously is Owens. Because he's had more years to build up his reputation, he might be able to command a contract in free agency that would be as much as Peterson and Plummer combined. "We'll make every effort to negotiate a fair contract," Donahue said, "but if you spend too much in one area, it means you have to make cuts elsewhere."
There are three reasons Owens is likely to go:
-- If you have to make a choice, you build your defense first. Though Bill Walsh is known for his offensive system, it was his defense-oriented 1981 draft, which brought in Ronnie Lott, Eric Wright and Carlton Williamson, which started the 49ers on their run of five Super Bowl championships.
A good defense keeps a team in the game, and it's much more consistent than the offense. Though the 49ers' season so far has been disappointing, their defense has kept them in games, shutting out the Browns for three quarters and stifling the Rams in the first half in Week 2. If the offense had
scored just one more touchdown in the first half in St. Louis and one touchdown at any time last Sunday, the 49ers would be 3-0 .
The emphasis on speed in the draft has begun to pay off on defense. The 49ers are very close to the kind of defense that can dominate teams, and Peterson and Plummer are two vital cogs. The 49ers must keep them.
-- If you're building an offense, you start with the quarterback, not a wide receiver.
On an absolute scale, Owens is a better player than Jeff Garcia; he is probably the best wide receiver in the league and Garcia is not the best quarterback. On value, though, Garcia is way ahead.
The quarterback initiates the action, and Garcia can make plays even when nothing seems to be happening, with his arm or his feet -- or both. Nobody is better at scrambling when pass protection breaks down and still making a play.
As good as he is, Owens can be stopped. There are many times when he's the first option on a pass play but Garcia goes to another receiver because Owens is double-teamed. Owens obviously still has an effect because his double- teaming leaves other receivers in single coverage, but he can be stopped from making a big play. Garcia -- or any quarterback -- can't be, because he has the ball.
-- Owens is the very antithesis of the type of player Donahue likes.
Donahue wouldn't say this publicly, but it's obvious from the type of players he recruited in his 20 years as head coach at UCLA -- good, hard- working players who didn't make waves.
Owens is a load. His antics three years ago in the Dallas game got him suspended for a game, and he and coach Steve Mariucci had an uneasy relationship after that. Now, the 49ers have a new coach, Dennis Erickson, who is trying to downplay Owens' constant outbursts and complaints about not seeing the ball, but that can be wearing on a coach and the team.
Some teams handle this kind of player better than others. The Raiders are the obvious example; over the years, they've had a number of players labeled troublemakers by other teams who have been an important part of their success.
The 49ers, though, have tried for a different profile. Their top players -- Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Lott, Steve Young, Roger Craig -- have all been hard-working, dedicated players who were not overly demonstrative, and who certainly never complained about not being a big enough part of the team.
The 49ers were pioneers in the field of psychological profiles, with Dr. Harry Edwards, and they've tried for the kind of players who fit well into the team. They've traded players who didn't. The most prominent example is Charles Haley, who was traded because the 49ers felt he was a disruptive force.
Owens is closer in personality to Haley than to the other 49er stars, and that's still another reason they'll let him go. He's a very good player, but keeping him wouldn't make sense.
