Bears Blitz

Published by Ryan Cook on April 28, 2010
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

So far 2010 has delivered numerous startling surprises in the world of NFL football.  Sam Bradford is a St. Louis Ram, Brandon Marshall is a Miami Dolphin and Al Davis finally has made a smart draft pick for the Oakland Raiders.

But something is missing, it’s almost like the whole NFL puzzle is nearly complete but one piece still remains in the box just waiting to see the light of day.  I guess it would be a bit harsh to compare Terrell Owens‘ historic career to a piece of cardboard with an image printed on the front, but right now he is amongst the few remaining stories in the NFL that is yet to have a happy ending.

So far, the speculation has been dismal.  The focus has been on the NFL Draft and other key issues such as Ben Roethlisberger, Santonio Holmes and of course the NFL schedule and therefore we really haven’t had much time to discuss Terrell Owens and just where he may land in 2010.

However, I for one feel that we owe Terrell the time of day, as he so often has found the time to interrupt ours.

Terrell Owens is now entering his 15th year in the NFL.  He’s been with numerous teams, had numerous controversies and throughout it all has managed to come out looking like a great wide receiver with a tremendous amount of credibility and skill that quite frankly any of the 32 NFL teams could do with.

But the Chicago Bears?  Get out of town, there is no way Terrell is coming to the windy city, or is there?  Realistically, some fans hate the very idea of this move.  Although it does seem a little odd at first, after looking at the good and bad points of this deal, it may just benefit the Chicago Bears immensely.

The Good

We all know Terrell Owens is a good receiver.  In his 15-year career, he’s had nine above 1000-yard seasons and in the years he has failed to meet that average, he has still posted fairly decent stats for a receiver that has had more than enough issues with his respective teams.

What Terrell Owens brings to the field is rather unique, at least for him.  He is an experienced wide receiver, yes, but he also so much more.  When Terrell Owens is with a team, the intensity automatically rises.

Although this wasn’t the case for the Buffalo Bills, during Terrell’s time with San Francisco, Philadelphia and Dallas, when Terrell takes a catch a new found energy ignites the stadium and fans become enthused to see just how Terrell will play for the remainder of the game.

Can this happen in Chicago?  Of course, but it may take some obvious time to develop not only for Terrell Owens but for the Chicago fans to find a place for Terrell in their hearts.

The one other key bonus that I see Terrell bringing to the Bears is his new found veteran type role.  We didn’t see much of it in Buffalo as Terrell just seemed rather quiet in his time with the Bills.

However on a team that is as big and well recognized as the Chicago Bears, Terrell could finally develop into that true leader and veteran role that we are still yet to see.  For the most part, the Chicago offense is young, and although it looks highly promising it could do with some guidance and leadership to keep the ship going in the right direction.

I know what you may be thinking “I don’t want Terrell leading the Bears ship”.  I know it seems crazy, but Terrell may just have a positive influence on this young roster.

The Bad

There are a lot of bad points to be made about a possible Terrell Owens signing in Chicago.  The first is the obvious one, how will Terrell interact with the coaching staff?

Honestly, I don’t know.  Lovie Smith can be as tough as the next guy when he wants to be and it does appear that Lovie has a strong amount of confidence in his side this season.

The only issue with this is that Terrell takes on the “leader role” just a bit too much, and we once again see him crying about Jay Cutler being his quarterback and his friend. 

On that note, it is also important that Jay Cutler actually wants Terrell Owens in Chicago.  Recently Jay Cutler had this to say about Terrell Owens possibly coming to Chicago:

“T.O. is a pretty good player, but for this system … I don’t know how he would fit in,” Cutler said. “Our receiver position, I think, is one of the strengths of the team. I think there are other needs that we could have addressed if we didn’t go that direction.”

To me that sounds like Jay is happy with this offense and for a quarterback that struggled last season, it probably isn’t wise to add a blockbuster player like Terrell who more or less demands the ball, to an offense that finally looks stable.

The final bad point to be made is whether or not Terrell would be liked by Chicago fans.  The NFC North is a tough division and the Bears fans in particular won’t appreciate Terrell coming in and possible screwing things up just that bit more.  Chicago are a team on the rise, and if Terrell fails in blue and orange, then we may have to call in the riot squad.

Conclusion

It’s clear that the bad far outweighs the good here.  Now that the Draft is over, NFL news has significantly come to a screeching halt, so expect to hear Terrell speculation for a very, very long time.

Owens in Chicago makes sense in a way as Terrell obviously has the ability to add experience and depth to the Chicago wide receiver position.  Unfortunately, his past may come back to bite him and that is perhaps Terrell’s biggest concern.

Right now, this story is only just beginning and until Terrell indicates he’d like to sign with Chicago, then we could be waiting for a verdict for a while.

Can Terrell benefit Chicago?  Probably, but a case could obviously be made as to whether or not he will do more harm than good to an already promising Chicago Bears team.

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