Should Pats sign T.O?

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Should the New England Patriots sign wide receiver Terrell Owens?

That's the million dollar question right now.

Well, based on talent alone, the 36-year-old T.O. might just be a good signing.

Or would he be?

Interesting.

If you ask me, there's no substitute for talent, and T.O. adds great value to a Patriots team that is very questionable on the outside since Wes Welker is suppose to miss the beginning of the season after recovering from major knee surgery.

But T.O. also could be a major buzz kill on the field and in the locker room if he's not happy.

A cancer, as they say.

But that's why each NFL organization gets paid big bucks to make difficult decisions.

So it comes down to weighing the talent and need of a team, to how much of a negative the said player could be and how it would effect the chemistry of the team.

I know that we've always heard rumblings of T.O. being a major pain in the rump when he doesn't get the ball enough -- in San Francisco, Philadelphia and Dallas. But last year I don't remember much from him yapping in Buffalo, especially since that team was downright poor and I think he knew that anyway.

He's got a history of showing up his quarterback (remember Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo?), but would he ever consider acting up with Bill Belichick at the helm and Tom Brady as the QB?

I'm guessing no, considering Belichick puts players in a position to succeed, and Brady, with outstanding QB play, also takes care of his receivers when they get open.

Make no mistake about it, if T.O. did come in, he'd have to quickly realize that he's not the No. 1 option (Randy Moss would have a thing or two to say about that).

But from a football standpoint alone, wouldn't Moss and T.O. scare most opposing secondaries?

You're darn right they would.

But I could also see both of them ruining chemistry if they start losing or don't get enough looks in the passing game. So the season could go downhill in a hurry if one or both of those superstars aren't happy.

But Belichick and his staff have been able to turn "problem players" into model citizens (Corey Dillion, Randy Moss are great examples) before, so why couldn't they do the same with T.O., who would obviously look at New England as a spot he could win a championship at.

Go ahead and call me crazy, but I'm in favor -- not 100 percent, however -- of the Pats signing T.O.

There's just something about adding a legitimate weapon in that offense that gets me excited. But the chemistry thing, which can be a little overplayed sometimes, concerns me, too. But if the Pats are winning, not many players stand up and complain. If they do, they look silly doing it.

The question still remains: Will the Patriots land T.O.?

If I'm a betting man, I say I'm folding right away.

There's no way the Pats take that gamble, even though T.O. would be the best No. 2 receiver in the NFL, by far.

Plus, T.O. is pretty arrogant and I don't envision him letting the Pats sign him at a discounted rate. T.O. loves money, and he's going to chase the green while other players try to chase that elusive championship.

So if he's not about team, he's not the right fit here, anyway.