The Rams and T.O.

Right now, it's looking like it's quite possible the Rams will sign Terrell Owens tomorrow. I am, as I often am, of two minds on the subject. Or maybe it's three.

On the one hand, I don't like T.O. He's egotistical, which makes him pretty unlikable. He's got a history of conflicts with QBs that have led to problems.

On the other hand, he's old, and he wasn't any good two years ago, and was worse last year, albeit in a situation where nobody would have thrived much.

Actually, this one's looking pretty much unanimous in my head. Signing Terrell Owens is a bad idea.

Look, if this were last year, I'd probably come around to thinking it was a pretty decent idea. I'm a big believer in giving a young QB a reliable option over the middle. Think Brett Favre and Mark Chmura as a good example. Having that kind of short target gets quarterbacks into the habit of thinking of the short middle as a legitimate option, rather than a last resort. The Rams don't have that for Sam Bradford, or anything close to it. They have a bunch of question marks at TE, and more question marks at WR. Forget his being a big play threat on the outside; If Owens were capable of using his big body effectively to work the middle of the field while still threatening to break one big at any moment, he'd be a great addition, and a big help to Bradford's development, despite his personality. I just don't think there's much chance that he's going to be able to do that, given his "production" last year, and his disappointing performance in 2008. If he's not capable of performing, his presence will mean that the Rams will be giving him playing time that would be better invested in one of the young receivers they have, giving them a chance to learn, and develop a rapport with Bradford.

If Owens does become a Ram, there's essentially no chance that he'll recover his form as a hall of fame caliber receiver. That just doesn't happen often enough to receive much consideration. If he's a Ram, root for him to adapt to his new situation and level of ability to do some of the dirty work that will be a bonus for Bradford's development rather than a hindrance to the development of his young teammates.