Fantasy Football

Few moves today that anyone with even a loose grasp on how the NFL runs could have told you would happen three months ago. Most notably (at least if you listen, read or watch any ESPN entity) is Terrell Owens getting axed by the Cowboys. On one hand it was kind of foreseeable because the team had been expelling all of the fools they were suffering (Tank Johnson and Pacman, though I hate the comparison because Owens has never been in any legal trouble), but on the other it seemed like since they were clearing cap room with them that they might hold onto Owens. I guess Jones finally sought greener pastures despite his star power.

This improves Jason Witten’s draft stock immensely. In fact it probably makes him the highest touted tight end for the 2009 season (though Antonio Gates will still go before him, without question). It could help Romo because he doesn’t have to check Owens before throwing to anyone else on the field, but I’m skeptical. Romo hasn’t really bought any good faith unless he’s playing a shit defense that’s unmotivated because it actually buys into the whole fake persona that the Cowboys have created for themselves. And after all these cuts to noteworthy players brought in through free agency in addition to that beat down at the hands of the Eagles, I have to imagine even that has dissipated quite a bit.

What the hell is this?

Obviously Owens value is about 85% dependent on what team he lands on. If he ends up in Oakland, like many have suspected, he’s not going to be nearly as lethal than if he goes too Indianapolis, and I can’t see them bringing in someone quite this destructive. Actually, the perfect team situation for him would be with (gulp) New England. I know, I can’t fathom the idea either, but if anyone can keep his spoiled, emotional ass in check it’s Belichick and Brady. Not to mention the value he brings as a player. God, I’m hoping he goes to Oakland because I’m not going to be able to bring myself to draft him.

In unrelated NFL news, Kurt Warner has predictably signed on to return to the Cardinals, just to make sure that their disappointing 2009 season is as befuddling as possible. I can definitely see the Cardinals having a successful season (winning the division, contending in the playoffs, etc) but lets be honest, the recent history of teams who go to the Super Bowl and lose is fairly unkind. It wouldn’t make any sense for the Cardinals to completely and utterly collapse. They have the same explosive offense returning (for all intensive purposes), a young and upcoming defense prone to forcing turnovers and they showed a resilience in the playoffs that you don’t see too often in the NFL.

That said, this team went 9-7 and made the playoffs via a weak division (6-0 in it, 3-7 everywhere else). And this is the NFL, it doesn’t have to make sense for a team to inexplicably flop out of or surge into the playoffs. Why did the Dolphins finish 11-5 last year? Circumstance! It makes the games entertaining at times but it doesn’t bode well for the David-Goliath situation that sports thrives off of. And yes I realize the Giants-Patriots game from the season before was exactly that, but I consider the current Patriots an anomaly.