Armchair Quarterback: Where will T.O. wind up?
Okay, so you’re a sports agent for superstar wide receiver Terrell Owens. You’re making a bundle handling his affairs. He’s the one taking the hits on Sunday. All you have to do is take care of the paperwork and make sure everything is filed on time and you’re rolling in the green.
I mean, how hard can it be? You’re handling the person who will be the hottest free agent on the market this year. This guy, along with Marvin Harrison, is the only player to record 5,000 yards receiving and 50 touchdowns over the last four seasons. Marketing this free agent will be painfully easy despite his antics since every team wants a playmaker like T.O. All you have to do is file the free agent paperwork on time. D’oh!
Things just got a little more complicated for T.O. as he and his agent missed the filing deadline which would have voided the last three years of his contract with the 49ers. Instead, he is now bound to the contract for its duration.
While I doubt he goes hungry since he’s due to make $17.7 million in base salary over the next three years, not counting incentives, his failure to make free agent status will likely prove to be a headache and a costly one. Chances are, he would have netted about $15 million in just a signing bonus with another team, not counting his base salary.
Staying in San Francisco could be a problem since he has basically burned his bridges by running his mouth, criticizing quarterback Jeff Garcia, who, by the way, also faces his own problems and could be cut by the team just as running back Garrison Hearst was this week. Owens has been outspoken about his plans to test the free agent market so remaining tied to the Niners is a big problem.
What T.O. faces now is the proposition of the Niners working a trade with another team. This is much more complicated than simply signing with another squad since the trading team will have to lose something to acquire him.
This comes during the same year where Keyshawn Johnson will be in the free agent market after being sent packing by the Bucs. Also, three blue chip prospects from the college ranks in Mike Williams of USC, Larry Fitzgerald of Pitt and Roy Williams of Texas are entering the draft this year.
The fact these other players are out there hurts T.O.’s marketability somewhat since folks the Chargers, Raiders, Lions and Cardinals, if they chose to fill a receiver position, may look to these draft prospects first rather than push their salary caps to the limit by signing Owens.
With uncertainty as to the quarterback position in San Francisco and his problems there, I think Owens is still set on leaving the city by the bay. Prior to the free agent mess up there was talk about joining Brett Favre and the Packers or even Donovan McNabb and the Eagles. However, a trade could upset these plans. Unlike the proposed straight up trade of Clinton Portis from Denver for Champ Bailey of the Redskins, it’s doubtful either the Packers or Eagles are ready to part with one of their big playmakers for Owens.
With that said, it’s hard to imagine Owens will be a Niner in the upcoming season. He’s just too hot a property to be passed up since he’s on the trading block. The question is who will have the guts to absorb such a large salary toward the cap and give up a player or picks for the luxury of putting T.O. in their uniform?
However, as far as the obvious, my first order of business during the offseason if I were T.O. would be to find myself a new agent. This week it’s free agency. Next week the lights might get turned out at his mansion because someone forgot to pay the bill.