Terrell Owens: Should the Cincinnati Bengals Consider Signing Him?

Imagine a world where Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco and Buffalo Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens are playing side-by-side in 2010. As crazy as it sounds, this would still seem like an impossible duo to stop on the field, which would improve a Bengals' passing game that finished near the bottom of the NFL in 2009.

Obviously, the odds of this happening may seem the same as Ryan Leaf making a comeback and earning a starting job next season.

Then again, is it really that crazy of a scenario to think about Owens ending up in Cincinnati next season?

After his release from the Dallas Cowboys—despite having the highest touchdown total of all active players from 2006-'08 with 38—the Buffalo Bills signed Owens to a one-year deal worth $6.5 million in 2009. The plan was that his experience and threat as one of the top wide receivers in the league would improve a Bills offense that never ranked higher than 25th overall the last six seasons.

So what did their $6.5 million get from Owens this season?

The Bills finished just 6-10 with the 30th ranked offense in the NFL with Owens catching 55 receptions for 829 yards and five touchdowns—his lowest since 1999 when he was with the 49ers. He also broke the 100-yard mark just once in Week 11 against the Jacksonville Jaguars (nine receptions for 198 yards).

No, Owens shouldn't be blamed for the struggles in the Bills' offense considering the type of talent he had to work with. However, he clearly shouldn't be paid as much—if not more—than the $6.5 million he made last season.

It's no secret Owens only has a few years left in his career as a top receiving threat in the NFL. With all due respect to the Bills, they are not the team for him if he's looking to win a Super Bowl before retirement.

So why not give it a shot with a team like the Bengals?

Last season, Cincinnati contained one of the top defenses in the NFL and caused opposing offenses headaches again next season after re-signing defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. They also displayed one of the top running games led by Cedric Benson. However, the one area that needs improvement is Carson Palmer and the passing game.

The Bengals finished 26th overall in the passing game in 2009, averaging just 180.6 yards per game. Palmer and the receiving core—other than Ochocinco—failed to stay consistent all season, relying heavily on their defense and running game week after week.

Throughout his career, Owens has built a reputation as a player who can become a distraction for the teams he's played for. He deserves credit for the lack of attention he drew upon his first season playing with the Bills.

While the question of whether or not a team like the Bengals would be capable of keeping a player like Owens under control, remember this is the same type of Cincinnati team who received criticism for signing "troubled" players. Just look at how the Benson situation turned out.

Sure, the odds of Cincinnati becoming the home of Owens next season seems like a long shot, but it's still interesting to think about, isn't it?

Dan Parzych is the Cincinnati Bengals Examiner for Examiner.com.

He is also the founder of WhoDeyBengals.com.

Questions? Comments? [e-mail]