Terrell Owens

Some Terrell Owens trash talk directed at former NBA star Sam Cassell led to him calling out the New England Patriots. 

"I beat you, Sam. I beat you. I beat you. I ain't cheat you. You sound like the Patriots. I don't care about the Patriots," Owens said at the end of a rant, via TMZ Sports. "Belichick, Brady—they cheaters. They cheated. They cheated."

The former NFL star, who was selected to the Hall of Fame class of 2018, apparently beat Cassell on the court, leading to some trash talk with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady caught in the crossfire.

Interestingly, Brady was brought up again in the next part of the video with Cassell saying Owens would be a Pro Bowler right now if he had the Patriots star throwing him the ball.

Owens, 44, hasn't played in the NFL since 2010 but has continued to discuss a possible comeback to the league.

Soon-to-be Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens is serious about continuing his professional football career in the CFL.

Owens' agent, Jason Staroszik, told TSN's Dave Naylor on Monday that T.O. "absolutely 100 percent" wants to play in the CFL.

According to ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert, Owens has opened a 10-day negotiating window with the Edmonton Eskimos.

If Owens and the Eskimos don't come to terms on a deal in 10 days, he will be released from their negotiation list and will be free to sign with any team.

Per Naylor, Staroszik added, "[Owens] still feels like he has some football years left in him. He just loves the game and wants to get back to playing whether it’s the CFL or NFL."

The 44-year-old Owens hasn't appeared in an NFL regular-season game since 2010 with the Cincinnati Bengals.

After spending some time in the Indoor Football League in 2011, Owens signed with the Seattle Seahawks in 2012.

The Seahawks released Owens prior to the start of the 2012 regular season, however.

Despite being out of the NFL for several years, Owens has been vocal about wanting to make a comeback.

In June, Owens tweeted at San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch and pitched signing with the team to help aid quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in his development:

Thanks. I know Jimmy G is gonna need a big play receiver this year at some point. Let's make it happen. #StayReady #VetMin https://t.co/cuHToOZOfE

— Terrell Owens (@terrellowens) June 2, 2018

Owens spent the first eight seasons of his NFL career with the Niners before enjoying stints with the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and Bengals.

T.O. is statistically one of the greatest wideouts in NFL history, as he ranks eighth all-time in receptions (1,078), second in receiving yards (15,934) and third in receiving touchdowns (153).

Owens was finally named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year, but he announced on July 3 that he will not attend the induction ceremony in Canton, Ohio.

Instead, Owens will give a speech at his alma mater, Tennessee-Chattanooga, on Aug. 4.

If Owens comes to terms on a deal with the Eskimos, he will be eligible to play in the CFL during the 2018 season, which is currently through its first five weeks.

Michael Irvin has no problem with the Pro Football Hall of Fame's decision not to acknowledge Terrell Owens individually during next month's enshrinement ceremony.

Per ESPN.com's Todd Archer, Irvin addressed the situation with Owens' induction on Saturday during the National Fantasy Football Convention:

"We can't spend this moment for all these other guys talking about the guy that is not here. You cannot do that and take that away. He's doing his own thing wherever he's doing his own thing, and God bless him. And when they mention the class they'll mention him, but why should you steal those other guys' moment because of the decision of this one?"

Hall of Fame executive director Joe Horrigan said on Wednesday that Owens, who will be speaking at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga on the day of the Hall of Fame ceremony, would not be mentioned because "he's not here," per Talk of Fame Sports Network's Clark Judge.

Owens was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his third year on the ballot. This year's ceremony will take place on Aug. 4 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.

Terrell Owens is officially a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2018, but he has chosen not to attend the induction ceremony in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 4.

As a result, his name will not be announced during either the Gold Jacket ceremony Friday or the induction ceremony Saturday.

"The focus is on the guys who are here," Hall of Fame executive director Joe Horrigan said, via Talk of Fame Network's Clark Judge, adding: "There's no reason to bring him up as an individual. He's not here."

Owens declined his invitation to the ceremony back in June after he failed to be voted in during his first two years on the ballot:

Terrell Owens declined his invitation to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and released this statement: pic.twitter.com/J4P1mS6VjN

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 7, 2018

He further explained his decision to ESPN's Marcellus Wiley:

Terrell Owens gave some insight as to why he won't be attending his Hall of Fame induction. pic.twitter.com/psC6dfmfva

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) June 8, 2018

Instead of making the trip to Canton, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga product will be giving his Hall of Fame speech at his alma mater:

🗣🎤🧥🏈🍿😎 pic.twitter.com/SMz2KlZwzz

— Terrell Owens (@terrellowens) July 3, 2018

Owens' decision to skip the official induction ceremony is unprecedented. As a result, Hall of Fame President and CEO David Baker released a statement via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, to address the matter.

"We are disappointed but will respect Terrell's decision not to participate in the enshrinement," Baker said. "While unprecedented, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the nearly 5,000 volunteers and the entire community are committed to celebrating the excellence of the class of 2018 that will kick off the NFL's 99th season."

Many, including the wideout himself, are in disbelief that it took Owens this long to be inducted. After all, he put together one of the greatest careers in NFL history. He hauled in 1,078 catches for 15,934 yards and 153 touchdowns.

While Owens will not be a part of the official ceremony, he and seven other legends will achieve football immortality. Bobby Beathard, Robert Brazile, Brian Dawkins, Jerry Kramer, Ray Lewis, Randy Moss and Brian Urlacher will be inducted alongside Owens in the Class of 2018.

Flag football may be bigger than any of us anticipate, NFL owners do a lot of double-talk when it comes to politics, and debating the NFL's greatest receivers. All that and more in this week's 10-Point Stance.

   

1. Is the future of football already here?

While many of you spent July Fourth week at cookouts, or swimming, or stuck in traffic, I was watching flag football.

Call it my duty to keep you, our esteemed readers, up to date on all that's happening in pro football. Or maybe it was just what was on the NFL Network as I flipped channels. Either way, it was on, and, to me, it was wholly unwatchable. I mean, it was Battlefield Earth bad.

There was no defense. No strategy. Despite the high caliber of the athletes, it still resembled the football I played in Central Park when I was a flag football all-star.

It was awful.

But it could also be what we're all watching years from now.

Despite my feelings, two people who know a lot of something about the game of football believe flag football could take a major hold.

One was Bucky Brooks, a former NFL player and scout and current analyst, who tweeted how much he enjoyed watching the game:

Watching @FlagFootball on @nflnetwork .. I’m not gonna lie, it’s pretty entertaining to watch. As a former flag football coach (kids), I’m digging the blitzes and other rules that added to enhance the game.. I can’t wait to see the “pros” do their thing

— Bucky Brooks (@BuckyBrooks) July 8, 2018

That was soon followed by a similar proclamation from Saints tight end Benjamin Watson, a Super Bowl winner:

We are quite possibly watching the future of pro football https://t.co/P9N77kLALZ

— Benjamin Watson (@BenjaminSWatson) July 8, 2018

Wait, what?

Watson isn't prone to hyperbole, and he's smart as hell. So what gives?

Brooks then did the math for us, tying together the reasons why it's not so outlandish to think flag football could become big:

For real...

Flag football will become a more popular game at the lower levels due to parental concerns regarding their kids’ safety and that could lead to a push to make the game a viable option at higher levels.. https://t.co/QLoiSjecDN

— Bucky Brooks (@BuckyBrooks) July 8, 2018

People like me look at flag football and see it's missing several elements that make us love football—namely, the violence. Americans love violence, and we especially love it in our football. This is unfortunate, but it's true.

There's a younger generation of football lovers, however, that wants less violence in the sport, and in some cases, none at all. They are more educated about head trauma and CTE and, unlike a lot of football fans, don't see players as drones. They actually care about their health.

This is how flag football can gain a foothold. And while us old-school NFL diehards may not see it now, there might be a hidden market for flag football that could emerge—soon.

Now, this isn't to say the NFL should be worried. We've been reading about the league's end days for some years; hell, I wrote a book about its potential demise. Yet the league keeps raking in cash, and it's popularity hasn't decreased all that much (Deadspin's Timothy Burke wrote), despite attacks from the POTUS and the controversy surrounding the protests during the national anthem.

Still, it's unclear how long this run will last, and at what point Americans, despite our craving for barbarism in some of our sports, might say, I no longer want to watch a sport that destroys brains.

Flag football could fill that void. There are people throughout the league who believe this, and they say in the coming years the NFL will push more flag football.

The NFL wants to be prepared for the day when there's a CTE test, I'm told by numerous team and league sources. If, in a few years, scientists develop a way to test for the disease, and parents begin testing their 10-year-old Pop Warner players, and some start testing positive for a deadly brain disease, parents could start pulling their kids by the millions from tackle football. That would crush the NFL.

That's where flag football could swoop in. It would give those parents an outlet for their football-loving kids.

Watson already is on board, tweeting:

It’s the only type of football the Watson boys will be playing anytime soon...mama’s orders! https://t.co/cdI7Jzkmwq

— Benjamin Watson (@BenjaminSWatson) July 8, 2018

Maybe I'm too old to fully buy in just yet. Maybe the lack of physical play makes the whole thing feel too soft for old football heads.

The future, though, could change quickly.

   

2. Le'Veon Bell and the Steelers at an impasse again

Anyone who says they know details about the contract talks between the Steelers and Le'Veon Bell, outside of the Steelers and Le'Veon Bell, doesn't. Almost no one does.

Both sides are keeping talks extremely quiet. I'm not even sure there are substantial talks.

If the Steelers and Bell don't work out a long-term deal by July 16, his contract essentially reverts back to a one-year deal. It gets complicated, but if Bell wanted, he could basically wait until November before reporting to the team.

It's possible the sides reach a deal soon, but for now, no one except Bell and the Steelers knows exactly where things stand.

   

3. A man of his words

Josh Rosen recently spoke with Lisa Matthews of the Cardinals' website and revealed a lot of what could make him an excellent quarterback. Confidence. Cockiness. It's all there and why I think the Cardinals made a smart choice in April. It's worth watching.

   

4. Stick to sports, right?

Almost to the minute that President Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh for appointment to the Supreme Court, the Cardinals released a supporting statement from president Michael Bidwill. He followed that up by lauding Kavanaugh again the next day on a conservative radio program, according to Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith.

Bidwill was a high school classmate of Kavanaugh's, but the public show of support was a highly political act. It was the same when John Elway, the Broncos general manager, publicly backed Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court.

Indeed, owners and team executives often don't stick to sports the way they ask players to. Just six months after publicly not sticking to sports by backing Gorsuch, Elway said in a statement that the NFL should "take the politics out of football" when it came to protests during the anthem by players. And in October, it was Roger Goodell, the commissioner, who said, "What we're trying to do is stay out of politics."

The truth is, politics and football have been intertwined for decades. They cannot be separated. They will never be separated. The NFL lobbies constantly in D.C., and politicians are always around the NFL.

The only time the #sticktosports crowd seems to get upset is when players don't. Like, say, when players peacefully protest the unjust shootings of unarmed minorities in America.

It would be nice if everyone could just be honest about it.

   

5. I beg to differ...

I like lists. I do them all the time. They're fun. And while I try not to take them seriously (as should you), they're still a good reason to engage in some debate.

Take this ranking of the all-time best wide receivers by respected, longtime personnel man Gil Brandt. No disrespect intended, but his list left me questioning a number of choices:

• No way in hell can you have Antonio Brown ranked as fifth-best. It's too soon. You also can't have him ranked ahead of Terrell Owens (No. 6).

• Don Hutson (No. 2) cannot be ranked ahead of Owens or Randy Moss (No. 3). Not in this universe or any other.

• Andre Johnson (No. 16) is ranked way too high.

• Tom Fears at No. 17? Da hell?

On and on it goes.

Have fun debating this one.

   

6. Age is a state of mind

The Dolphins will have a crowded and talented backfield. Don't be surprised, however, if 13-year veteran Frank Gore dominates it. Dolphins coach Adam Gase clearly doesn't think Gore, 35, is too old.

"It's irrelevant," Gase said of Gore's age, according to Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post. "He's a different dude."

   

7. Stick, move and improve

Titans CB @RealLoganRyan wanted to pack more of a punch in 2018, so he called up @EddieGeorge2727.

“I told him: Train me like a boxer.” 🥊 » https://t.co/4j7ZHIyqHu pic.twitter.com/JzuczFtHDY

— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) July 9, 2018

NFL players use a variety of training methods to improve. Some run sprints and hills. Some pull trucks. Some push ridiculous amounts of weights.

To me, the best training for football remains boxing. No sport duplicates the fast-twitch-ness or deft footwork needed like boxing.

Titans corner Logan Ryan has been doing just that, according to a story on the Titans' website by Jim Wyatt, who detailed how Ryan has been taking boxing lessons with former Tennessee running back Eddie George.

"[Boxing] translates to you being on the football field, especially for a guy like Logan," George said. "When you are playing the press coverage and jamming up a receiver, knowing where the hand placement goes, which shoulder to go after to get the receiver off-balance and so forth, all that helps out. And from a mental standpoint and hand-eye coordination, it puts you in a different frame of mind, if you will. I like to call it spiritual conditioning. ...

"And I'll tell you what: He's picked up the nuances of the punches and knowing when to slip and when to dip, and when to lay a combination. It's now gotten into his muscle memory, and it is fascinating how he is able to mirror the hands with the feet, and it is going to translate well when he goes on the field."

   

8. A tainted legacy

The sale of the Carolina Panthers was officially completed this week, leaving new owner David Tepper fully in charge.

Former owner Jerry Richardson released a farewell statement through the team's Twitter account. Noticeably absent from his remarks, as has been for some time, was some type of apology.

Let me explain.

In December, Sports Illustrated detailed an extensive series of harassment allegations against Richardson. The story described multiple incidents of sexual harassment by Richardson against female employees as well as an allegation Richardson used a racial slur toward an African American scout.

After a league investigation, Richardson was fined $2.75 million by the NFL, but at no point did Richardson offer even a cursory public apology for his behavior.

Richardson's legacy is a simple one to digest. Strictly in football terms, he deserves credit for bringing the NFL to Carolina. And with two Super Bowl appearances during Richardson's tenure, the Panthers—again, strictly in terms of football—have been one of the best-run teams in the sport.

But Richardson's legacy also includes credibly documented accusations about abuse of power.

And as he takes his leave of the league, that part of Richardson's legacy cannot, and should not, be ignored.

   

9. No respect for the Jaguars

Oddsmakers in Las Vegas normally do and say things as a way of getting suckers to bet.

That was my first thought when I read John Reid's story on Jacksonville.com about how the Jaguars' over/under win total is only nine.

Meanwhile, a handful of team executives are skeptical the Jaguars can repeat their success from 2017. They wonder if the Jaguars were lucky last season.

That's absurd. This is a team that was a matter of minutes from beating the Patriots in the AFC title game and returns 10 starters on defense.

And while Vegas often isn't off by much, if at all, I think it is in this case.

Bet on it.

   

10. Far better than advertised

The Dolphins' Kiko Alonso is one of the nastiest linebackers in football, and one of the best. He's also typical of many NFL sons of bitches.

Alonso recently held a free football camp for kids in Puerto Rico. The island is still recovering from Hurricanes Maria and Irma and has massive problems with housing and its electrical grid.

Alonso is among a number of players who have flocked to Puerto Rico since the devastation, contributing their time and cash. Not bad for an NFL S.O.B.

      

Mike Freeman covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @mikefreemanNFL.

Terrell Owens announced Tuesday that he will give his Pro Football Hall of Fame speech at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Aug. 4.

T.O. made it official with the following tweet:

🗣🎤🧥🏈🍿😎 pic.twitter.com/SMz2KlZwzz

— Terrell Owens (@terrellowens) July 3, 2018

The legendary NFL wide receiver's decision came on the heels of announcing in June that he would not attend the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony in Canton, Ohio.

Owens' Hall of Fame speech will take place on the same day as the enshrinement ceremony for the Class of 2018.

The 44-year-old Owens revealed that his speech will begin at 3:17 p.m. ET at Tennessee-Chattanooga's McKenzie Arena, and it will be free to the public.

Owens starred at Tennessee-Chattanooga before the San Francisco 49ers took him with the No. 89 overall pick in the third round of the 1996 NFL draft.

After Owens said in June he would not attend the enshrinement in Canton, Pro Football Hall of Fame president David Baker released the following statement, per ESPN.com: "We are disappointed but will respect Terrell's decision not to participate in the enshrinement. While unprecedented, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the nearly 5,000 volunteers and the entire community are committed to celebrating the excellence of the Class of 2018 that will kick off the NFL's 99th season."

T.O. was not chosen to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016 or 2017 despite his elite numbers.

In 15 NFL seasons with the Niners, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals, Owens registered 1,078 receptions for 15,934 yards and 153 touchdowns.

He ranks eighth all-time in receptions, second in receiving yards and third in receiving touchdowns.

Owens is part of a Hall of Fame class that includes GM Bobby Beathard, linebacker Robert Brazile, safety Brian Dawkins, guard Jerry Kramer, linebacker Ray Lewis, wide receiver Randy Moss and linebacker Brian Urlacher.

Terrell Owens denies rumors he's influencing Julio Jones' holdout. The player who could make the Jaguars even more dangerous this year. How to create a monster World Cup team out of NFL players. All that and more in this week's 10-Point Stance.

        

1. Julio Jones is his own man

There are three facts we need to get straight before we dive into this story about Julio Jones and Terrell Owens.

First: Jones wants more money, and he skipped minicamp to get more money. This is a fact.

Second: The relationship between Jones and the Falcons is strained. League sources have told me this for weeks. It can be repaired, but for now, there's tension. This is a fact.

Third: All of this has absolutely nothing to do with anything but Jones' relationship with the team and the money he should be getting paid. This is a fact.

So how do we get from those facts—and from the story of Jones' contract desires, one of the potentially more important stories in the NFL this offseason—to Owens?

The jump in logic is indicative of something many people seem to be suffering from these days: Terrell Owens Derangement Syndrome.

The key to this lies in a report from D. Orlando Ledbetter, a longtime Falcons reporter and an excellent journalist. Ledbetter said on ESPN Radio in Charlotte on Monday that the Falcons are uneasy about Jones' relationship with Owens, whom he's trained with this offseason.

"The fact that he's running around with Terrell Owens has the front office uneasy," Ledbetter said.

Ledbetter's report may be correct, but what is incorrect is this notion that Owens is actually having some type of negative effect on Jones. Or that he's in any way involved in Jones' negotiations with the team.

"I have no idea where all of this is coming from," Owens told me this week. "I have nothing to do with Julio except training. This is the media trying [to] create something that's not even there. It's very unfortunate. What possible reason would they have to create that narrative?"

To be clear: Based on Ledbetter's report, it's not the media that's creating this narrative; it's the Falcons.

The truth is Jones wants more money because Jones wants more money.

This is not complicated. Jones believes he's outperformed his contract. A thousand players before him have felt the same way, and thousand more after him will.

The difference with this example is that Owens is involved, and so naturally, he is being used as a scapegoat. Because that's just the treatment Owens gets.

Global warming? That's Owens' fault, too. Stock market takes a hit? Owens. Aliens invade? All Owens.

From everything I've been told by people close to Jones, the reality is that he sees Owens as a good person and valuable influence. That they've trained together says nothing more than that the two have a positive and close relationship.

And really, how weak a person do you have to believe Jones to be to think he'd be easily influenced in a negative way by Owens?

(Or maybe you think Owens is some type of Obi-Wan Terrobi? Owens: "You don't need to go to minicamp." Jones: "I don't need to go to minicamp.")

What needs to be understood is that Jones is highly intelligent (like Owens) and sees the landscape around him. Everyone is getting richer, including his teammate Matt Ryan. Jones is also aware of the toll the sport takes on his body and mind. He wants to get his cash like everyone else.

He is his own man.

He isn't being brainwashed by Owens. He doesn't need to be.

                  

2. Is Rashad Greene the Jaguars' next star?

You might not know the name Rashad Greene yet. You will next year.

Greene is a wide receiver for the Jaguars. If you do know him, it might be for one of the biggest plays of his young career, this punt return against Indianapolis last December.

It was one of the fastest punt returns I've ever seen.

Greene has some of the best pure talent on a Jaguars team that is one of the five most talented in football. He has only shown a portion of that talent so far because of an Achilles injury.

Now Greene is back, healthy and has a chance to be a breakout player.

Greene is a microcosm of the entire Jaguars team. The franchise is still growing, and its potential is vast. The team has some issues, of course, like every team, but it also is continuing to grow. Like Greene.

"I feel like it's time for me to take it to another level," Greene told me recently. "I want to show Jaguars fans what I can really do, and I think I can do so much more."

The Jaguars lost to the Patriots in last year's conference title game but had a 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter. There's no reason to think this team can't make a Super Bowl run this coming season. I asked Greene if that was a fair thing to say.

"I believe that's fair, yes," he said. "We have to keep working and getting better and we will. I feel like we have everything we need to make it. We have a lights-out defense and an offense that can run the ball well and pass it well. I've seen Blake [Bortles] improve so much this offseason. His decisions are cleaner and he's got the support of the entire team."

The Jaguars aren't going anywhere but up. Like Greene.

               

3. $20 million for Oliver Luck?

One piece of news I missed regarding Oliver Luck taking control of the XFL was this from the Sports Business Journal:

Why would Oliver Luck leave a stable job at the NCAA to be commissioner of the XFL, a league that had failed before? Reports @sbjsbd: pic.twitter.com/R7TgD0E6sx

— Rachel Bachman (@Bachscore) June 11, 2018

Now, that's not Roger Goodell cash. Goodell was paid $31.7 million in 2015, the last time public figures were available. He makes around $40 million per year now.

Still, that $20 million annually for essentially a startup is a great deal of money. It's also yet another signal the XFL reboot is real.

             

4. The Browns and Super Bowl odds

The most interesting part of this Sports Illustrated story on the beginning of legal gambling in New Jersey is the picture showing Super Bowl odds.

The goal of oddsmakers is to encourage gambling. That's understood.

But they have the Browns 75-1 to win the Super Bowl—better odds than the Jets, Bengals, Colts, Washington, Dolphins, Bills, Cardinals and Buccaneers.

Oddsmakers are wrong a lot. Like sportswriters.

The odds do reflect a general feeling I hear across the NFL that the Browns will be better this coming season. Granted, they can't get worse than 0-16, but the optimism seems to be genuine and reflect faith in quarterback Tyrod Taylor and that the Browns have some weapons on offense, like Carlos Hyde and a stacked receiving group.

They are in position to make a dramatic move up.

Just don't bet on them to win the Super Bowl. Not yet.

         

5. The NFL All-World Cup team

Give me this team with one year to train, and the U.S. the next two World Cups.

Using a standard 4-4-2:

Forward: Antonio Brown

Striker: Justin Tuck

Left midfielder: Le'Veon Bell

Defensive midfielder: Patrick Peterson (team captain)

Defensive midfielder: Jalen Ramsey

Right midfielder: Odell Beckham Jr.

Left back: David Johnson

Sweeper: Darren Sproles

Goalkeeper: Rob Gronkowski

Stopper: Marcus Peters

Right back: Xavier Rhodes

Manager: Bill Belichick

FIFA president: Roger Goodell

Yes, I know: It's a different sport and athletes don't automatically traverse from one sport to another. Yes, I also know: Stick to football.

                     

6. Contract disputes shouldn't be one way

Cranky Bill Polian is back, this time with a rant about how players should live up to their contracts:

It’s ironic that former NFL GM Bill Polian wants players to honor their contract without pointing out teams REGULARY fail to honor the contracts they sign.Far more players are waived & shaken down for pay reductions each year in the NFL compared to those holding out for new deals pic.twitter.com/QizM54H5OK

— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) June 13, 2018

Polian has every right to his opinion. The only problem is there's a massive hole in his logic.

Why should only players live up to their deals, and not teams?

Teams cut veterans and break contracts all the time. It's almost a daily occurrence, and that is the right of NFL teams.

It's conversely also the right of players to break contracts if they feel those contracts are outdated or if they've outplayed them.

None of this means you should have sympathy for players, but it's always fascinating when people ask players to behave one way while failing to acknowledge teams behave in the exact same manner. 

            

7. Manziel isn't playing, but that won't last

Just in case you're not a CFL junky loser like me and missed one of the biggest pieces of news from the league: Johnny Manziel didn't play in the Hamilton Tiger-Cats' season opener.

The odds that Manziel stays on the bench for long are slim. He will play and soon. He wasn't brought to Canada to sit on the bench.

My guess: Manziel makes his debut in some fashion—either off the bench or as a starter—on June 29, Hamilton's home opener.

           

8. One of the great quotes of the year

A post-Father's Day quote below from Detroit wide receiver Marvin Jones, via Justin Rogers of the Detroit News. I love the imagery, the humor and the humanity of it. Many people see NFL players as robots; they are not.

Here is Jones on life with four young kids: "We don't have anything hanging up because we're always throwing balls around the house. We don't have any paintings, nothing. The TV is probably the only thing we can break and that's just how it's always been. We throw footballs in the living room. You have limits everywhere in life, but there's no limits in the house."

                       

9. Still nothing on Dez Bryant

It's still incredibly quiet regarding the destination of Dez Bryant, a fierce player who the league doesn't think has much left. (I do.)

The landing spot for Bryant that I continue to hear is San Francisco, but that's far from certain. The truth is, for the moment, we simply don't know. It remains one of the great (and temporary) secrets in the league.

                        

10. NFL's dead season

It's officially here. The NFL slows to a crawl until late July when training camps begin in earnest.

In the meantime, watch this scene from an episode of Deep Space Nine. It's one of the best in Trek history.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TREQGl54BU8

You're welcome.

                         

Mike Freeman covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @mikefreemanNFL.

It's our Wednesday edition of Simms & Lefkoe!

On today's episode of the show, the guys discuss Odell Beckham's ridiculous arm, Julio Jones workouts with T.O. and RG3's attempts to nurture Lamar Jackson. 

Later in the show, the guys discuss whether Josh Allen has a stronger arm than Cam Newton and why Todd Haley loves the Browns' quarterback room.

Follow us @SimmsAndLefkoe on Twitter and Instagram to tell us what you think of the show!

Warning: Contains NSFW language.

To subscribe to the show on iTunes, click here.

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Wide receiver Terrell Owens hasn't played in the NFL since the 2010 season and is 44 years old, but that reportedly hasn't stopped a Canadian Football League team from demonstrating interest in him.

According to David William Naylor of TSN, the Edmonton Eskimos added the former San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals playmaker to their negotiation list.

There is no questioning the 2018 Hall of Fame inductee's resume from a production standpoint considering he was a six-time Pro Bowler and five-time first-team All-Pro selection who is all over the receiving record books.

His 1,078 receptions are eighth all-time, his 15,934 receiving yards are second all-time and his 153 touchdown catches are third all-time.

While there are questions about his age and whether he would continue to be such a dominant force if he inked a contract with the Eskimos, he did turn heads recently with a blistering 40-yard dash time, as Fox Sports shared:

T.O. still out here runnin’ a 4.4 40 at age 44 🔥

(via @terrellowens) pic.twitter.com/Kw0dxgjDAi

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) June 18, 2018

That type of speed would be a problem for opposing secondaries, and Owens was always a physical receiver during his career who was capable of battling through traffic and coming down with contested catches.

The days when Owens served as one of the best receivers in the NFL are over, but the Eskimos apparently like what they see from the 44-year-old given this latest move.

The relationship between Julio Jones and the Atlanta Falcons is reportedly not in a good place heading into training camp next month.

Appearing on ESPN 730AM The Game, Falcons beat writer D. Orlando Ledbetter was asked how things stand between Jones and the Falcons during their most recent contract talks. 

"It's in a bad place right now," Ledbetter said, via Cory Woodroof of the Falcoholic. "Coach [Dan Quinn] was expecting him in here. He told us that at the owners meeting when I talked to him down there in Orlando, and then, a few weeks later, Julio informed that he's not going to be here."

Ledbetter also noted the Falcons are concerned that Jones has been working out this offseason with a former wide receiver who was known for disrupting the locker room. 

"The fact that he's running around with Terrell Owens has the front office uneasy," Ledbetter said. "The fact that he's held out and is kind of bucking the whole Brotherhood thing has them a little bit uneasy, too. So, they'll have to mend some fences, no question about it, once he returns."

When the Falcons held their mandatory minicamp last week, Jones was not with the team as he continues to seek a new contract. 

Jones was working out at the same time as his teammates:

#Falcons mandatory minicamp starts today. julio jones is working out with terrell owens. @11AliveSports pic.twitter.com/8q2SjyaKLf

— Alex Glaze (@Alex_Glaze) June 12, 2018

Quinn doesn't seem concerned about Jones' deal being a long-term issue for either side. 

"The good news is that there are conversations that have begun," Quinn told reportersThursday. "We'll keep those private. I have a lot of faith in the organization and also in Julio that things will get resolved with good communications. I'm sure that'll be a part of it as well."

Jones' average annual salary of $14.25 million ranks eighth among all wide receivers, per Over the Cap. He signed a five-year deal worth up to $71.5 million in August 2015.