Columns: Prisco | Judge | Ratto
IRVING, Texas -- Wide receiver Terrell Owens was released by the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, ending a three-year run that produced as many big headlines as big plays.
Owens caught more touchdown passes than any NFL receiver over the last three years and was a big part of Tony Romo's emergence from an unknown backup to a starlet-dating Pro Bowl quarterback with a $67 million contract.
Yet the Cowboys never won a playoff game with Owens, and didn't even make the playoffs last season. Months after Dallas' late-season collapse, owner Jerry Jones decided a new attitude was needed.
"This is a decision that was made based upon consideration for an entire team," Jones said in a statement. "We will move on now with a new team -- a new attitude -- and into a new stadium."
Jones had indicated in recent weeks that Owens wasn't going anywhere and firmly said the idea of locker-room problems were "a figment of the result. You didn't hear about those things when we were winning."
Dallas also released safety Roy Williams on Thursday. Despite his reputation as a hard-hitter, teams never hesitated throwing his way in recent years because he struggled in coverage. After Owens, Williams likely was the second divisive figure among Cowboys fans -- especially after Dallas already got rid of Adam "Pacman" Jones and Tank Johnson.
Cutting Owens and Williams will cost the Cowboys about $14 million against the salary cap. There's no telling how much more Dallas will lose in jersey sales and other publicity Owens generated.
Owens learned he was being cut late Wednesday and sent text messages to his friends. Cowboys receiver Sam Hurd said Owens' reaction was "more shock than anger."
"He didn't give me an explanation. He just said, `Wow,"' Hurd said Thursday. "I really didn't believe that he seen that coming. ... He said it's tough, but it's a business."
What's next for T.O.?
It remains to be seen what kind of market there is for a 35-year-old with a proven track record -- good and bad.
Owens was among the NFL's career leaders in catches, yards and touchdowns. Over the last three years, his 38 touchdowns are one more than Randy Moss and he's among the league's best in catches, yards, yards per catch and yards per game.
But the Cowboys are his third team and all three have gotten rid of him because of personality, not performance.
His first season with Dallas included an accidental overdose that police initially called a possible suicide attempt. Yet it also included the most touchdown catches in the NFL and the birth of Romo's stardom.
With a new coach and coordinator in 2007, Owens set a club record with 15 touchdown catches and Dallas tied the best record in team history at 13-3, only to lose its first playoff game. A few months later he received a $34 million contract extension.
The Romo-Owens relationship appeared to fray late this past season, with Owens upset about everything from game plans to pass distribution. He had 213 yards in one game, but he cracked 100 yards in only one other game all season.
TREFF 
