Terrell Owens has signed a deal with the Seattle Seahawks. Owens hasn’t played a game in the N.F.L. since the 2010 season (or another way to put that is–Owens did not play for a N.F.L team in 2011). In 2010, Owens had 983 yards receiving and 9 touchdowns for the Bengals, but only averaged 13.7 yards per receptions (his career average is 14.8). Many jokes will be made about Owens and his necessity to take care of his children after he appeared on the Dr. Phil Show, but this move has a chance to make some sense for the Seahawks and the Owens on the football field as well.
The Seahawks are in a wide open N.F.C. West and felt they needed to boost their Wide Reciever corps, though they have some intriguing options with Doug Baldwin who had an impressive rookie year, high profile free agent Sydney Rice who battled injuries last year, and big bodied Mike Williams who had a resurgence in 2010, but who also had his share of injuries in 2011. The player who is primed for a breakout year to me is former Norte Dame WR Golden Tate. Owens gets to go to a different type of atmosphere and head coaching experience than he has had in the N.F.L. and to play out West too which might have a positive effect on him. Owens also will be on a one year contact–and when he had a one year contact with the Bills he said the right things and went about his job.
While I find it an interesting and intriguing move, I can’t see too major production from Owens this year. Owens will not have the best quarterback throwing him the football during the year and though he’s always been in great shape and a hard-worker, Owens will be thirty nine years old in December. I think the Seahawks are hoping that Tate and Rice step up along with Baldwin and that they don’t even need Owens to make the team, if he does, however and ends up starting. I would expect modest production–40 catches for 500 yards and five or six touchdowns or less. Definitely not a viable fantasy option and probably not much of a threat on the field either.
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