What’s in store for Terrell Owens for the 2009 season?
Brian Jester and Bob Bell debate…
Upside
By Brian Jester
Once again, Terrell Owens has signed with another team, this time at the not-so-young age of 35. Don’t let his age deter you from drafting him though; T.O. is a physical specimen who takes care of his body like no other professional athlete. From constant workouts to sleeping in hyperbaric chambers, Owens makes sure his body comes first. With that in mind, father time will have a hard time slowing down Owens. Other naysayers may point to the fact that T.O. is moving to a new team, with an unfamiliar QB and an unfamiliar offense. However, that hasn’t slowed him down in the past. In his first year as an Eagle, he finished as the #4 WR in standard scoring systems. In his first season as a Cowboy, he was the #2 fantasy WR. He is a student of the game and no matter what is said about his personality and on(and off)-field antics, he works hard and knows what it takes to get the job done. What’s even more unbelievable is that the lack of a capable #2 WR on his team hasn’t hindered his fantasy performances. He’s worked opposite of “studs” such as Todd Pinkston, Reggie Brown, and Patrick Crayton, yet finished in the top 10 in each of those seasons. This year he has Lee Evans, one of the most explosive WRs in the game. T.O. will be the recipient of single coverage from opposing defenses, which is a scary thought. What’s even better is that he is being drafted as the 12th WR off the board right now in fantasy drafts. He hasn’t finished as the #12 WR or worse in a full season since 2003 (he broke his leg on a horse collar tackle in 2005 and missed 9 games). Be happy to grab T.O. as your WR1 if you go RB heavy in the early rounds, or be even more pleased if you can land him as your WR2.
Downside
By Bob Bell
T.O. is entering his 14th season in the NFL. He is still a very solid WR, so when I talk of downside here I’m not saying that he is going to be a fantasy bust. It’s just that he is not the stud WR that is associated with his name. He has too much risk and not enough upside to be drafted as a WR1. Here are some facts: (1) He is going to be 35 soon and is soon to hit the downside of his career, that is if he hasn’t already done so; and (2) He has led the league in dropped passes for the last couple of years, but also led the league in targets. His presence will make Lee Evans one of the league’s top WRs because he won’t be facing double and triple teams any more. No team is going to let T.O. run free. If T.O. can control his attitude, he could have a real impact on the Bills’ young receivers because he is always in shape and ready to play. What will T.O.’s numbers look like this year? I expect good, but not super star, status. I look for him to get 60 to 70 receptions with close to 1000 yards and maybe 8 or 9 TDS. I also expect that he will lead the league in dropped passes again. I’m always afraid to draft him because if his attitude goes sour he could destroy a team and himself in the process. However, if he accepts the number two role he could be a major impact by freeing Evans to be the star and speed the development of James Hardy, who will work out of the slot when he is fully recovered from last year’s knee injury. T.O. will not put up stud WR numbers, but he could be the spark that this passing game needs to excel. In your fantasy leagues, I wouldn’t draft T.O. high or as my number one WR, but he will be a solid number two.
