Cowboys cut T.O.

[roth74va]

OUR TAKE: ‘SKINS, GIANTS TO BATTLE FOR OWENS
Posted by Mike Florio on March 5, 2009, 8:44 a.m. EST
We’ll have plenty to say throughout the day about the stunning decision by the Cowboys to dump receiver Terrell Owens.

Here’s the first thing that comes to mind — his next destination.

And we’ve got a feeling that he’ll continue his tour of the NFC East.

It’s the Redskins and the Giants, we predict, who could be vying for his services.

Let’s start with the Giants.

The Giants learned the hard way late last year that having a receiver who can draw double coverage is far more important than having two running backs who can gain 1,000 yards each.

Sure, they were burned by Plaxico Burress, and on the surface they might not be interested in signing a guy like Owens, who has been a problem in the past — and that’s an understatement.

But, frankly, the Giants didn’t bat an eye about signing defensive tackle Rocky Bernard, despite the fact that he flies the only red flag T.O. doesn’t: a criminal record.

And New York admittedly chased defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, who likes his cars fast and his cleats sharp.

So, given the potential benefits that T.O. can provide on the field, it would be very easy for the Giants to justify giving him a chance, especially if he agrees to a contract that protects the team against any bad behavior.

The Redskins would be interested even if they weren’t in a position to twist the tails of their Texas rivals. It’s Terrell Owens, for crying out loud. A big-name player, available to be signed by a team that collects them like football cards.

For the same reasons that the ‘Skins were willing to give up a package that could have been worth two first-round picks last year for erratic and emotional Bengals receiver Chad Johnson, owner Daniel Snyder will pounce on the chance to upgrade a so-so receiving corps with a guy who knows the West Coast Offense as well as any receiver.

We give the Redskins a little more of an edge on this one, because: (1) they’ll be willing to pay more money; and (2) the Giants ultimately could decide to back off not based on attitude but on age. Owens is a temporary fix; the Giants are likely hoping for something that adds value for more than a year or two.

That said, there are some wild cards in this equation. The Raiders have long been regarded as a team that could take a chance on Owens. The Ravens tried to get him several years ago, and linebacker Ray Lewis recently gushed about the guy. The Jets let one of their starting receivers become a free agent last week, and the guy just signed with a new team on Thursday. The Vikings run the West Coast Offense that Owens knows so well, recently swung and missed on T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and could easily sell to the fans a flirtation with Owens by pointing to the fact that, unlike the Love Boat crew or even defensive end Jared Allen, Owens has never gotten in trouble with the law.

Regardless of who it is, the guy still has some football left in him. And he’d surely love nothing better than to continue his career in the NFC East, where he’d face the Eagles twice and the Cowboys twice.

PLEASE...........say it aint so!!!!