Prediction: Either Terrell Owens or Ricky Williams will be a Bronco in 2006.
Yes, one of the two most enigmatic players in the NFL will be a Bronco. Count on it.
At this point, the odds are Owens will continue his NFL career with the Broncos, but if owner Pat Bowlen and coach Mike Shanahan sour on Owens, or if they can’t come to a contract agreement, the Broncos likely will shift their focus to Williams.
The Broncos believe they are close to winning a title. They believe in their locker room. They think one of these two players could be the missing link.
They might be right. Denver’s offense would be better with either one.
But don’t expect the Broncos to acquire both Owens and Williams. There’s not enough aspirin available for that combo.
The Broncos met with Owens last week and will monitor him closely. The team also has been quietly considering Williams.
Williams could be trickier to get than Owens because the Dolphins will be asking for a lot in a trade. The Broncos don’t like to spend much on their running backs and they will be fine at the position without Williams.
Owens would fill a bigger need. That’s why the team already is pursuing him. But if it doesn’t work out with Owens, expect a run at Ricky.
Baltimore
The Ravens may make a play for quarterback Kerry Collins. He will be released by Oakland, which owes him a ton of money. Once the Raiders hire a head coach, one of the first orders of business will be kicking Collins to the curb.
The Ravens are likely to jump at him. Collins’ old head coach with the Giants – Jim Fassell – is offensive coordinator, and he believes in Collins. They went to the Super Bowl together five years ago.
Collins would push Kyle Boller, who finished the season fairly strong. If Boller falters in competition against Collins, the Ravens would know they have a short-term answer and a long-term problem. At least they’d have the first part covered. If Boller continues to improve, Collins would be a solid, veteran backup.
Cincinnati
The Bengals are resigned to keeping star receiver Chad Johnson despite several outbursts. The most notable was a tantrum at the half of the Bengals’ wild-card playoff loss to Pittsburgh. Reports on what happened have ranged dramatically in seriousness.
It’s clear that, at the least, Johnson caused a stink and was a distraction for his team. Johnson has been an issue for coach Marvin Lewis. The coach has to address it.
There had been speculation the Bengals would consider trading Johnson, but it appears the team is hoping he gets his act together. Johnson is a terrific talent, so the Bengals want to make it work. If Johnson continues to be a problem for Lewis, a major bridge will have to be crossed.
Kansas City
Don’t be surprised if former Denver cornerback Lenny Walls ends up with the Chiefs.
Walls is a free agent and likely will get a heavily incentive-laden contract. The Chiefs could be interested in Walls because of the presence of new secondary coach David Gibbs, who was fired as Denver’s defensive backs coach in November 2004 and spent the 2005 season as the defensive coordinator at Auburn.
Gibbs was a fan of Walls in Denver. Walls was cut by Denver last November, then was claimed by Oakland, which released him after a groin injury lingered the rest of the season. Kansas City needs defensive backs. Expect the new position coach to make a pitch for a player he knows. Walls, 26, is still young and has plenty of upside. A reunion with Gibbs could be fruitful.
Bill Williamson can be reached at 303-820-5450 or bwilliamson@denverpost.com.
