TO Was a Great Move for Buffalo

When TO was dropped by Dallas, I quickly emailed friends and said "Let's sign him!"

Nobody replied, probably thinking I was either joking, or a joke myself.

But I was dead serious, signing a legit #2 wide receiver HAD to be the priority for this team in Free Agency. It was the only hole (of many) on the team that could not be filled via the draft. It was imperative to bring in a WR that could draw away attention from Lee Evans, give a developing Trent Edwards another legit target, and give this stuttering offense some life. Going into 2009 with the same receivers as 2008 wasn't going to cut it. Thankfully, the Bills agreed.

What do the Bills get in Owens? Let's start with the football side. They get a 35 year old elite Hall of Fame worthy WR who is certainly on the decline, but still better than Parrish, Reed, Hardy, or Johnson. I mean, its not even close.

On the locker room side, they get a "me" player, somebody not afraid to get in a coach's or player's face and let them know he's selfish. He can divide a locker room, and make playing for a team miserable.

On the marketing side, at 6:13pm yesterday, Buffalo was put back on the national map. TO and the Bills were on the front of every sports website, lead every sports newscast, and are still the talk of the sports world today. Love or hate TO, he WILL sell tickets (topic of another post to come) and will draw national media attention throughout the season. That is music to the ears of those vested in the Buffalo/Toronto series that need it to succeed.

In the end, its a great risk for the Bills to take. They get their #2, and Owens goes to a small market team where there will be less microphones around, and a low key city that may bring TO down a notch or two when he goes out to dinner and folks treat him like any other Buffalonian. I also think Jauron, a coach who I am no fan of, is the right personality for the drama queen. He's a player coach, no Bill is going to side against him so the chances of TO dividing the locker room are slim. Wade Phillips allowed a locker room to divide the Bills in the Flutie/Johnson era, so its no surprise he had the same problem with TO. Jauron is also even keeled and emotion-less. I don't see him being phased by TO getting in his face, it'd be like screaming at a rock.

In the end, its a one year deal, and I anticipate Owens only being a Bill for one year. He will either play so well he'll be awarded a huge contract elsewhere, or play his way off the team. Don't expect TO to be a Bill in 2010, that's probably a good thing for somebody who wears out his welcome everywhere he goes.