Terrell Owens' Signing Means Cincinnati Bengals Are in Win-Now Mode

Yo, it’s TO!
 
It’s a done deal. TO and Ocho have been united to form “TOcho.” The reality star kings are together at last.
 
The Bengals showed a great poker face for five months with WR Terrell Owens, until the asking price finally dropped to a ridiculously low level.

He visited the Bengals in March and thought he might have a deal at the time. Instead, the Bengals signed Antonio Bryant for $28M over four years.
 
Well, it turns out Bryant might not be completely healthy for training camp (this could be a huge issue as the leaves begin to change colors).

In the meantime, Owens rumors were flying everywhere around the league. It got to the point where teams had to come out and state their interest, or lack thereof.
 
Beyond the Bengals and the Rams, the other teams that had real curiosity were the Jets, Seahawks, and Raiders.  The interest of Seattle and Oakland was preliminary in nature, and both dropped out before the process got too far along.

So Owens came back to Cincinnati and agreed to a one-year deal worth $2M that could reach $4M with incentives.
 
The 36-year-old has had his share of drama in the locker room, with QBs and the media, but he did show a very mature side in Buffalo last year.
 
Owens caught 55 passes for 829 yards and five touchdowns with the Bills. Gaudy they were not; in fact, it was his worst season since ’99.

He doesn’t have the separation speed of a few years ago and “Drop-O” has issues holding onto the ball. Yet, he was always the No. 1 receiver. This will be the first time he hasn’t been “the guy” since ’00.
 
With the Bills, he was playing with Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB, and all Bengal fans know what that means. Ochocinco had his worst year as a pro with Fitzpatrick under center.

Owens didn’t complain or cause any sort of disruption. Maybe he finally “gets it.” Maybe he is sick of all the crap and ready to put his name in the NFL history books—not the VH1 book on tape.
 
TO is joining forces with another Pro Bowl receiver in Chad Ochocinco. They both are old enough to realize the diva receiver act grows old after a while and people start asking why you don’t have anything of importance in the NFL.

Why does such a great player struggle to even make the playoffs? Why don’t I see you in January? Where is the jewelry? There is only one way the self-proclaimed “Batman and Robin” can answer those questions.
 
Sure Ochocinco will still be the No. 1 receiver. Bryant will be the new Chris Henry, a deep threat that stretches defenses to the limit. Owens will be used in the slot most of the time.

He can still make that tough catch in traffic; safeties and linebackers will still have to respect his brute strength over the middle. There is still some high-quality football left in Owens—especially when he is option No. 3. But with the health of Bryant in question, Owens may be already sliding up the depth chart.
 
Owens and Ocho are together, but TO is also paired with a Pro Bowl QB.
 
Carson Palmer didn’t have a stellar season last year, as the passing game went dormant in the final month of the season.

More than anybody else, it’s Palmer who has the most to gain/lose. A top-tier QB for most of his career, many experts believe he is simply an average signal caller in ’10.
 
This is his opportunity to show his critics that last year’s down year was due to the lack of talented receivers. Palmer has been working out with Owens this summer in California and he was a huge reason the team signed him.
 
"He and Chad are going to do some great things with Carson," said Drew Rosenhaus, the agent for Owens. "Carson Palmer had a lot to do with this deal coming together."
 
The Bengals drafted TE Jermaine Gresham, WR Jordan Shipley, and WR Dez Briscoe; they signed WRs Matt Jones, Bryant, and now Owens, and the offensive line returns intact.

All the pieces are in place for Palmer to succeed.
 
From a productivity standpoint, Palmer has three WRs (TO, Ochocinco, and Bryant) with a combined 2,062 catches, 30,588 yards, and 236 touchdowns at his disposal. HE invited Owens to the party—now he is responsible for the results.

It’s put up or shut up time for the Cincinnati Bengals. For the first time ever, owner Mike Brown has opened his wallet wide.

He knows the window of opportunity in the NFL is razor thin.

He knows the Bengals were two solid receivers away from doing some real damage in the postseason last year. He knows the entire ’11 NFL season is up in the air.
 
2010 will certainly be an exciting year in the jungle. Buckle up and enjoy.