Time to take a TO?

The Terrell Owens to the Bengals connection has been front and center in the offseason rumor mill from its humble roots in the Hobgoblin's Spike Lee article after his first party since puberty to ProFootballTalk to the Professor John Clayton. As the rumor gains momentum, everybody seems to have an opinion. There is the stereotypical TO locker room cancer angle, the he's as old as hell plot, and then there's a select few that think it might make sense. I stand neutral on the subject.

He is 37 but remains a physical specimen. He had 55 catches for 829 yards and 5 touchdowns last year in a mostly disappointing season in Buffalo where he served as a target for the two headed monster of Trent Edwards and Crazy Legs Ryan Fitzpatrick. He has a knack for getting open deep which this team could desperately use but there are legitimate questions on how much he has left in the tank. Was his dip in production because he has lost a step and is beginning to show his age or was it more the sum of all the terrible parts in Buffalo? He went over 1000 yards in 2008 when he was with an exceptional offense.

The main issue is that Owens will not likely take a significant pay cut and Bratkowski will probably question his ability to understand the playbook since he hails from Tennessee Chattanooga. Most importantly, Mike Brown it seems actually listens and respects the opinion of Carson. Palmer prefers players with a business-like demeanor and probably does not want to "deal" with another guy's antics.

Overall, an Owens signing would help the vertical passing game but his price tag will probably be too steep for his production. The team has also been burned signing aging veterans like Sam Adams and Coles. All in all, a trade for Brandon Marshall would be much better for the team. Look for the TO show to be in Ravens purple next year.