Terrell Owens
San Diego Chargers Willing to Trade Vincent Jackson
It could be time to start thinking about Vincent Jackson again.
While I don’t think it will – or should – happen, the Seahawks have shown interest in acquiring Jackson this offseason. And the Chargers, who were originally opposed to dealing their productive receiver, have apparently opened up to the idea of a trade.
The Chargers are facing tough personnel decisions with offensive tackle Marcus McNeil, Jackson, and perhaps linebacker Shawne Merriman becoming holdouts. Merriman should be a little easier to deal with, but McNeil and Jackson could become ugly holdouts that last well into the regular season.
Chargers general manager A.J. Smith recently said he might be willing to trade Vincent Jackson, but Marcus McNeil probably isn’t going anywhere.
It is definitely a situation worth keeping an eye on; the rumor mill identifies Seattle as one of San Diego’s likely trading partners (probably because of an admitted interest in acquiring Jackson). But what franchise, if the price is right, wouldn’t want to add a Pro Bowl talent to its roster?
The Seahawks were interested in trading for Brandon Marshall earlier this offseason. They were linked to T.O. rumors before head coach Pete Carroll abruptly shot them down. They invested a second-round pick in the NFL Draft on Golden Tate, a talented prospect out of Notre Dame.
It seems obvious the franchise would like to upgrade its group of wide receivers. But at what cost?
To acquire Brandon Marshall, the Miami Dolphins sent two second-round picks to Denver and rewarded the disgruntled wide receiver a huge, new contract. But Miami is a possible contender, and the Seahawks are clearly rebuilding.
Parting with second-round picks in consecutive years would be counterproductive for a rebuilding team; spending cash on skilled positions is pointless when you’re thin in the trenches. A rebuilding team needs to focus on acquiring as much young talent as possible, and in my opinion, should build from the inside-out.
I don’t think the San Diego Chargers want to get rid of their Pro Bowl talent. They’d probably prefer to retain Vincent Jackson and other potential holdouts.
But if A.J. Smith is willing to deal Jackson, don’t expect the price tag to be any cheaper than Brandon Marshall’s.
If Smith was able to play the market and receive compensation greater than the tender for Charlie Whitehurst, do you really think he’ll except anything less than what Jackson is worth? Jackson isn’t as productive as Marshall, but their value should be similar in a trade.
If Vincent Jackson is available, would you want the Seattle Seahawks to pursue him? And at what cost?
Now that the Chargers are reportedly willing to at least consider trading Jackson, expect the rumors to pick up steam again. And for no other reason than previous interest, the Seahawks will probably be the first team mentioned.
Shaun Dolence: dolencesm@gmail.com
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Tags: Brandon Marshall, Charlie Whitehurst, football, Golden Tate, holdout, Marcus McNeil, Miami Dolphins, nfl, Pete Carroll, Pro Bowl, Rumors, San Diego Chargers, Seahawks, Seattle Seahawks, Terrell Owens, trade, vincent jackson, wide receiver
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The Seahawks Won’t Sign Terrell Owens
It seemed like the T.O.-to-Seattle rumors would never die. Not until he signed with another team, at least.
Last month, general manager John Schneider said the team was not actively pursuing Terrell Owens. Confident in their current receivers, Schneider said T.O. would only be a consideration under drastic circumstances.
But the Seahawks remained a possible destination in the rumor mill.
John Clayton of ESPN.com wrote earlier this week that if T.J. Houshmandzadeh or Deion Branch take a step backward with their health, the first call will be to Terrell Owens. According the Clayton, Owens remains on Seattle’s radar in case of emergency.
The rumors continued. This offseason, the Seahawks failed to land a premier wide receiver like Brandon Marshall or Vincent Jackson. No one considers Terrell Owens an elite receiver anymore, but the Seahawks seemed desperate for help. Rumormongers claimed Owens wouldn’t be the answer, but a suitable alternate for a desperate football team.
According to Adam Schefter via Twitter, Drew Rosenhaus (Owens’ agent) is very confident Terrell Owens will have a new deal within weeks. We have heard this nonsense from Rosenhaus before, but this statement put Seattle fans on high alert.
Could Terrell Owens be close to a deal with Seattle? Are the rumors true?
Will the same receiver who stole Seattle’s spotlight on Monday Night Football in 2002 return to Qwest Field as a Seahawk?
No. And barring drastic circumstances, this rumor is dead.
Yesterday on 710 ESPN in Seattle, Pete Carroll said the Seahawks would not sign Terrell Owens. Carroll likes Owens, but the Seahawks are apparently comfortable with their current group of wide receivers.
Citing confidence in the experienced receivers and eagerness to develop younger players, Carroll confidently shot down the T.O.-to-Seattle rumor.
“That’s not the right guy for us at this time,” Carroll said on the Kevin Calabro show yesterday.
Crazier, more unexpected things have happened, but don’t expect Terrell Owens to sign with the Seattle Seahawks.
Shaun Dolence: dolencesm@gmail.com
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Tags: Brandon Marshall, Deion Branch, Drew Rosenhaus, football, John Schneider, nfl, Pete Carroll, Rumors, Seahawks, Seattle Seahawks, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, T.O., Terrell Owens, vincent jackson, wide receiver
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SEAHAWKS: Carroll: Owens will not be a Seahawk in 2010
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SEAHAWKS COLUMN: The T.O. Debate
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SEAHAWKS: Terrell Owens remains on Hawks’ radar
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Seahawks: Terrell Owens to Seattle? Not So Fast
Last week, I posted a short piece about Houshmandzadeh’s feelings towards bringing Terrell Owens in Seattle. According to T.J., acquiring Owens wouldn’t be such a bad thing:
“I have no problem with it whatsoever. You know, it’s the NFL. [They're] gonna bring guys in and if they feel like T.O. can help us, bring him in. I’m sure he can help us.”
But of course, T.J. has been wrong before. In fact, he was wrong about another wide receiver – at least, so far – in the same radio interview.
The Seattle Seahawks parted ways with wide receiver Mike Jones last week, who was praised by Houshmandzadeh for his efforts during offseason minicamps and OTAs.
“Nobody even knows who a guy like Mike Jones is, but I think he’s done well, in my opinion,” Houshmandzadeh said last week. “And in the OTAs and camps everybody’s nobody until you get a chance to show that you’re somebody, you know? And so, if a guy can get an opportunity to say, ‘Okay, I’m gonna give Obo, Ben Obomanu, a chance to play,’ either you’re going to sink or swim. And if you swim, you got something there. And if he doesn’t, okay, let’s try the next guy and somebody’s gonna swim and make a name for them self. That’s what the NFL is about. You wouldn’t even know who a Tom Brady, Wes Welker, you wouldn’t even know these guys had they not got that opportunity. And so it’s just a matter of how you take advantage of it.”
Of course, I can say I disagree with everything Houshmandzadeh said. Actually, I agree with most of it. As a former seventh-round draft pick, T.J. knows about making the most of every opportunity in the National Football League.
But comparing Mike Jones’ situation to Wes Welker’s development may be a stretch.
This isn’t the first time Houshmandzadeh has been wrong in predicting the success of himself or teammates.
About a year ago, T.J. boldly predicted that he and Matt Hasselbeck would have a very productive year together in 2009:
“I just want to let everyone know that Matt Hasselbeck and I will be leading the Seahawks to the playoffs this season. And we’ll be going to the Pro Bowl as a tandem. We’re both goign to have top five seasons: He’ll have a top five quarterback season, and I’ll have a top five receiving season. I’ll put up stats I’ve never had before yardswise because they’re allowing me to be a complete receiver.”
Recently, T.J. maintained his confidence and forecasted a 100-catch season in 2010, despite a disappointing first season in Seattle:
“I think 100 catches, to me, should be the minimum I get this year just because of the offense we’re in.”
T.J. Houshmandzadeh is a good receiver in the NFL, and I love his confidence. But sometimes he gets ahead of himself when attempting to put his self-confidence into words.
So before we assume a vote of confidence for Terrell Owens from T.J. Houshmandzadeh makes the potential acquisition fool-proof, remember that Housh has a history of getting things wrong. Maybe he is right about Owens, but he sure wasn’t about Jones (not yet, anyway).
Shaun Dolence: dolencesm@gmail.com
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Tags: Ben Obomanu, football, Matt Hasselbeck, Mike Jones, National Football League, nfl, Pete Carroll, Pro Bowl, Seahawks, Seattle Seahawks, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Terrell Owens, Wes Welker, wide receiver
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T.J. Houshmandzadeh Thinks Terrell Owens Can Help Seattle
If you’ve followed the rumor mill recently, you’ve heard about Seattle’s supposed interest in wide receiver Terrell Owens.
If you’re at least a casual fan of football, you’ve already developed an opinion about Terrell Owens. And you already know whether or not you want him in a Seahawks uniform.
The rumors stemmed from “exploratory phone calls” made by Seattle’s front office with Terrell Owens’ agent. Seattle’s actual interest in obtaining Terrell Owens is unknown, but the rumored phone calls have been confirmed: the Seattle Seahawks have at least considered the possibility of adding Owens to their roster.
Terrell Owens has developed a bad reputation in the National Football League. His name is synonymous with greed, attitude, and selfishness. In fact, not including his last season spent in Buffalo, every stop Owens has made during his career has ended badly.
At his current age (36), it could be argued that bringing Terrell Owens to Seattle would be a waste of time. Acquiring a talented receiver at the end of his career is pointless for a team trying to rebuild from the ground up.
But what if the Seahawks are looking to add contributors right away? What if the new regime has injected new optimism and the franchise is ready to start winning sooner than later?
I think a majority of Seahawks fans would be opposed to adding Terrell Owens, but a few vocal players have endorsed adding the veteran playmaker.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who recently predicted he would catch 100 passes this season, openly supported the idea of adding Terrell Owens to Seattle’s roster in a recent radio interview:
“I’m all for it. If they feel like [they're] gonna bring somebody in and he can help us, I’m all for it. I have no problem with it whatsoever. You know, it’s the NFL. [They're] gonna bring guys in and if they feel like T.O. can help us, bring him in. I’m sure he can help us.”
But isn’t Housh a little concerned about Owens’ declining production? Apparently not:
“He played well last year. You know, it was probably one of his worst statistical seasons, but you gotta look at all the elements and the reasons why.”
I’ll be the first to admit: I didn’t watch one Buffalo Bills game last season and never saw much of Terrell Owens on the field. But a total of 55 catches for 829 yards and 5 touchdowns is a mere shadow of Owens’ production during his prime. Statistically, he had a better season with Philadelphia in 2005 when he only played in 7 games due to injury.
But Houshmandzadeh is right; statistics don’t paint the entire picture. Football is a complex game, and statistics are usually a poor way to measure contributions made by an individual player.
Isaiah Stanback, recently claimed off waivers by the Seattle Seahawks, played with Terrell Owens during his time in Dallas. Stanback, like Houshmandzadeh, seems to be a proponent for bringing Owens to Seattle:
“The experience I had with him in Dallas was great. He was a great guy, he was a great teammate. All Terrell wants to do is win. Nobody is going to outwork him. He’s going to come in, he’s going to be in shape, he is going to work hard. All he wants to do is practice hard. He wants to get W’s. That’s what his passion is, and I know sometimes they show snippets, at least when I was in Dallas, of him yelling, you know, or whatever, but that was just him trying to hold everyone to the highest standard. It wasn’t him trying to down-talk anybody. He is a great guy.”
Is Isaiah concerned about Owens’ age or a decline in ability?
“If there is anybody who can play at thirty-six, it is that man right there. He got a lot of football left in him.”
You’ve probably already developed your opinions about Terrell Owens. And the rumors about him coming to Seattle are probably just that. But after hear vocal support from players currently on Seattle’s roster, are you at least slightly convinced that Owens wouldn’t be such a bad acquisition after all?
Shaun Dolence: dolencesm@gmail.com
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Tags: Buffalo Bills, football, Isaiah Stanback, National Football League, nfl, Seahawks, Seattle Seahawks, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Terrell Owens, wide receiver
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