Thursday-and-Long: Why Can't Terrell Owens Get a Job?

The freezing out of Terrell Owens is reaching the point where it makes no sense. It made a little sense in the early part of the offseason, when Owens was looking for $5 million and teams were understandably uninterested in giving that much money to a guy with that much baggage and that many question marks. But now, on the eve of training camp, Owens is being more reasonable and is looking for a job. And the fact that he hasn't found one makes no sense. The fact that teams that could seriously use him are coming out publicly and saying they're not interested is unfathomable.

San Diego Chargers GM A.J. Smith, asked this week about his team's interest in T.O., said, "We're all set right now with our receivers." With all due respect to Smith, that is a false statement. The Chargers, a pass-first team with a rookie running back and Super Bowl expectations, are anything but set at receiver. Their top wideout, Vincent Jackson, is in the middle of a contract dispute, facing a three-game suspension and, according to some league scuttlebutt, on the trading block. That basically leaves them with Malcom Floyd and Legedu Naanee to start the season, and not a lot of depth at the position even beyond that.

Forget whether you like Terrell Owens. Forget whether he makes football sense for you. Forget whether you plan to even speak to him about a contract. If you're A.J. Smith, it would make good business sense to let Vincent Jackson at least think you might be interested in bringing in an accomplished veteran to fill his spot. Might be the kind of thing that scares a guy back to the negotiating table. Why come out and say you're not interested in T.O. even if it's true? What is it about this guy that's so toxic that teams don't even want to be associated with him in rumors?



The Seattle Seahawks could use Owens, too. They're projecting to start Deon Butler and T.J. Houshmandzadeh at the wideouts, with Deion Branch and rookie Golden Tate in the mix. Owens could crack that lineup, but guess what? Seahawks coach Pete Carroll says it's not going to happen. He said on the radio this week that he likes Owens just fine, but that his plan is to develop some young guys. Carroll's comments portend a major rebuilding year in Seattle, and OK, that makes a little more sense. Why waste snaps on a one-year veteran when young guys need to play in order to learn and develop? But this is the NFL, where contenders routinely emerge out of nowhere. Is Carroll so sure that his team won't contend that it's not even worth entertaining the thought of T.O.?

Now, surely Owens has brought much of this on himself with the pattern of disruptive and selfish behavior he set early in his career. It's darn near impossible to shake a reputation, and Owens must know that by now. But it's foolish for NFL teams to seek every possible reason not to sign this guy when the chance remains that he could help them win games.

Owens is 36 years old, which is old for an NFL receiver, but he's legendarily well conditioned and showed no signs of breaking down last year at 35. The age excuse doesn't make a lot of sense, since Owens appears to have held up physically late into his career.

Some will point to his poor 2009 numbers -- 55 catches for 829 yards. But I would point to the fact that the Buffalo Bills had no quarterback whatsoever in 2009, and that a receiver's numbers are bound to take a hit when his team provides him with no one who can effectively throw him the ball.

I'd also point out that, given the circumstances and in comparison to earlier parts of his career, Owens kept respectfully quiet about the lack of production from the most important position on the field. He didn't bristle at training camp suggestions that Lee Evans might be the No. 1 receiver in Buffalo and he the No. 2. He was a solid citizen in his one year with the Bills, and even if people want to believe the years that came before override it, they must at least see that he has the capacity to behave himself and not blow up a locker room.

There are teams that still need help at receiver and could do worse than taking a one-year, incentive-laden flyer on a guy who's accomplished as much in his career as Owens has. Denver makes a lot of sense. Oakland, which upgraded its own QB situation by adding Jason Campbell this offseason, would be a perfect spot in so many ways. He could help in Tennessee, where the receiving corps is young and unproven. He could help in Washington, if he and Donovan McNabb really have buried all of their hatchets. I like the idea of him in Houston, playing second banana to Andre Johnson. Who has defensive backs that can cover two receivers as big as those two?

There are enough teams out there where Owens would fit that you have to imagine he'll find something before long. He's not too old, too done or too much of a problem child for everybody to run away from him.

It just doesn't make sense.