T.O wearing O&B in CLE?

The Cleveland Browns need help at wide receiver. The offense struggled in 2011 managing only 13.6 points per game ranking 30th in the NFL. A big part of the lack of production was the passing game finishing 24th in passing yards per game at 193.1. In fact the only category that the offense led in was dropped passes with 43 total miscues. But is there such a thing as “too high a price”? In other words is it worth acquiring a player who is notorious for distractions if it helps improve your offense? Of course I am talking about former NFL “bad-boy” Terrell Owens.

Owens has managed to do the “seemingly” impossible getting released from the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League on Tuesday. Team owner Jon Frankel sited Owens failure to meet the terms of his contract as being the reason Owens and the team parted ways.

Owens had made it clear to the team that he had no interest in participating in two upcoming away games for the Wranglers which would play a role in their bid for the playoffs. Owens was not required to participate in all road games but the team did expect him to compete in key matchups. But the trigger was pulled after Owens failed to show at a scheduled appearance. The official press release read as follows:

“The proverbial straw that broke the camel's back for Mr. Owens was his no-show to a scheduled appearance at a local children's hospital with other Wrangler players and coaches. It is not the desire of the Allen Wranglers' organization to disappoint fans by having our most notable player miss a scheduled appearance."

On field performance has never been an issue for Owens. He is among some of the best receivers the game has seen. But his off-the-field antics are another story entirely. Owens has been a disruptive force in nearly every locker room he has been in literally  coast-to-coast from San Francisco to Buffalo and many places in between. Which begs the question to Browns fans across the country, would you take a chance on T.O?

Owens has demonstrated he can still put up solid numbers snagging 35 receptions and 10 TD’s in just eight games as a Wrangler. He may no longer have elite speed but can still create separation and draw double coverage. He would add an element to the Browns offense that it has not had since Braylon Edwards’ breakout season.

But during the 2011 season Cleveland got a taste of a disruptive presence in the locker room in Peyton Hillis. The contract dispute, “injuries”, and failure to appear at a scheduled charity appearance damaged Hillis’s reputation and the team’s reputation by proxy. So is Owens production worth the risk of a Hillis like repeat season?

I do not for see him landing in Cleveland but it does spark the imagination. You can bet however that he will find a place to land somewhere in the league if the price is right. You can never have enough receiving talent and T.O for better or worse is a big time receiver talent.

What do you think?

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