Detroit – To the portion of Broncoland excited about the possibility of landing Terrell Owens, don’t get those hopes up just yet.
On the flip side – and when the subject is Owens, there always is a flip side – disgruntled Broncos fans should not yet follow through on vows to cancel season tickets.
“This is a process, and when a player like this becomes available, we just felt like we owed it to ourselves to let him know that at the appropriate time, we might be interested,” Broncos owner Pat Bowlen said Thursday. “We’re not going to be the only team he visits. The only reason why I think this story created such an uproar was because we were the first ones he talked to.”
Owens is expected to soon meet with Kansas City and Miami. The Broncos are not yet convinced Owens is the answer to the team’s quest for a two-win improvement in 2006.
After getting so close this year, losing at home in the AFC championship game to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Broncos may be just one playmaker away.
Several Broncos veterans, including recently re-signed center Tom Nalen and safety John Lynch, met to discuss the team’s pursuit of Owens, arguably the NFL’s best receiver but unquestionably the league’s most disruptive personality. The consensus was that it is a good idea because the team has enough veterans to keep T.O. within the boundaries of the team concept.
The player endorsement led Broncos coach Mike Shanahan to meet with Owens and agent Drew Rosenhaus on Monday in Denver. Shanahan’s thinking: If the veterans want Owens, he owes it to the veterans to explore the possibilities.
“Obviously, there is concern about character,” Bowlen said. “That is why we wanted to talk to him and why we talked to many of our own players. We don’t take the character element with a player lightly. If he doesn’t conform to the way we do things with the Denver Broncos, then he won’t be playing for the Denver Broncos. It’s as simple as that.”
Before that meeting with Shanahan, Owens was in the Bahamas on vacation with several other NFL players, including Detroit Lions cornerback Dre’ Bly.
Owens “told me he was meeting with Shanahan,” Bly said. “But he didn’t really say more than that. He just said he wants to play and he wants to win.”
The meeting was preliminary. It is unlikely Owens’ current contract or future dollars were discussed in detail. The meeting was set up so Shanahan could get a read on Owens’ commitment.
Owens, who two months ago turned 32, has played for two teams, the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles, and despite his on-field production, his insubordinate behavior is blamed for sending both teams into tailspins.
“If Mike Shanahan is going to do it, he has to believe he can take care of that other side,” said TV commentator John Madden, a former Oakland Raiders coach. “(Eagles coach) Andy Reid thought he could take care of that other side. Maybe Terrell Owens is going down the road where he’s a rent-a-player. You buy a player for a year.”
There are reasons for Denver’s interest, but also other reasons the Broncos might cease their pursuit of Owens through trade or as a free agent after his expected release from the Eagles in early March.
The reasons in favor of Owens: The Broncos were not good enough to reach the Super Bowl this season. Owens, a rare talent, is capable of almost single-handedly defeating an opponent.
In a three-year span from 2000-02 with the 49ers, Owens averaged 97 catches and 14 touchdowns. Through seven games with the Eagles this season, Owens was on pace for 107 receptions, 1,744 yards and 13 touchdowns. He didn’t achieve those numbers, however, because the Eagles suspended him for the final nine games of the season after his disparaging comments toward the organization and quarterback Donovan McNabb.
Which leads to the case against Owens.
What about Rod?
Initially, Shanahan’s meeting with Owens generated concern for Jake Plummer because he is the Broncos’ quarterback and Owens has a history of publicly blasting his own passers. See: Jeff Garcia and McNabb.
But Plummer has heard criticism throughout his NFL career, and it didn’t stop him from having his best season in 2005. Probably better than others, Plummer could overcome one more dissenting voice.
The Broncos’ player who may be most affected by Owens might be Rod Smith.
“What is this telling Rod?” said Terrell Davis, a former Broncos teammate of Smith’s.
Smith is the team’s offensive captain and No. 1 receiver. He is closing in on his 36th birthday, but he also is coming off an 85-catch season.
Most likely, if the Broncos acquire Owens, they would be telling Smith he must accept the No. 2 receiver role. There’s nothing in Owens’ past suggesting he would handle a demotion to No. 2.
Then again, Smith also is the type who probably would replace 85 catches and an AFC championship game loss for 60 catches and a third Super Bowl title.
“I’m sure Rod Smith is one of the reasons why Mike is looking into this,” said Tom Mills, Smith’s agent. “He knows he has one of the best leaders in the game at the receiver position. I’m just speculating, I don’t know for sure, but it would seem a lot of their thinking on this is they already have a guy like Rod who is still playing at the top of his profession who could be invaluable in a situation like this.”
One year too soon?
Smith and Ashley Lelie have evolved into a short route-long route tandem that together has been effective. Smith ranked 63rd among the 64 NFL-ranked receivers with an average initial catch of 8.0 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. On the other side, Lelie led the NFL in yards per catch for a second consecutive season.
Owens may be a combination of each player, but he would likely take some production from both.
Smith appears to have at least one more productive season in him, and Lelie would be eligible for free agency after next season. If Owens is a one-year rent-a-player, should this be the year to get him?
The salary cap
Including the new deal for Nalen, the Broncos are about $28 million over a projected 2006 salary cap of $92 million. Even if the Broncos can sign Owens to an incentive-loaded deal that would count as little as $2 million against the cap, it could be $2 million too much if the team wants to keep its current players.
It’s unlikely Rosenhaus would initially be willing to discuss a significantly discounted deal. Under his existing contract with the Eagles, Owens was in line for at least $7.5 million in salary and bonuses for 2006. His belief that $7.5 million woefully undervalued his services seemed to be at the root of his divisive behavior this season.
Fan reaction
Since Shanahan met with Owens, Broncos fans who e-mailed The Denver Post were overwhelmingly against the possible transaction.
Of course, it’s the agitated, not the content, who usually are compelled to respond.
The outrage against Owens, it could be argued, has merely replaced the vents against the Broncos’ performance in the AFC championship game.
Mike Klis can be reached at 303-820-5440 or mklis@denverpost.com.
