Bills WR Terrell Owens. Yep, this looks weird. (AP Photo)
I woke up this morning and instantly grabbed my laptop, just to make sure it was real. It is very real. Terrell Owens is, indeed, a Buffalo Bill.
Obviously, everyone's got an opinion on this. Here are some of the more meaningful and relevant quotes flying around the Internet this morning about TO-to-Buffalo.
CURRENT BILLS PLAYERS
WR Lee Evans: ""I'm very excited; I like the move. We have been trying to make some moves in the free agent market, and this is a great move. To play with a receiver, a player of his caliber is something I'm looking forward to."
S Donte Whitner: "I'm not concerned about [Owens' reputation] at all. Coach Jauron is mild-mannered, but he is tough and holds people accountable for their actions on and off the field. A lot of public perception is through the media. A lot of stuff is about ratings and how many newspapers you can sell. I've learned a long time ago not to judge people by public perceptions, but by your personal relationship with them."
DE Chris Kelsay: "I don't know him, but I'm looking forward to meeting him. Obviously Russ Brandon and the Bills front office did their homework. I think we have to go into it with optimism."
QB Trent Edwards: "We spoke earlier and both look forward to working hard this offseason. We share the common goal of winning football games. His ability and experience will add to our offense and the weapons we already have."
ROSS TUCKER, SI.COM
"How is T.O.'s flash gonna play in blue-collar Buffalo? I mean, picturing T.O. in Buffalo is kind of like imagining the Queen of England at a monster truck show. Just doesn't seem to fit."
JUDY BATTISTA, NEW YORK TIMES
"With the addition of Owens, 35, the Bills have one of the most dynamic wide receiver tandems in football. How Evans and Owens coexist will probably be scrutinized throughout the season. Evans has been the team’s No. 1 receiver, and last year, he signed a four-year extension for $37 million."
CLARK JUDGE, CBS SPORTS
"So Owens is going from the glare of the media to the glare of the next snowdrift. Doesn't make a lot of sense, does it? Less attention is exactly what Terrell Owens needs, but it's not exactly what he wants. In fact, he craves the spotlight. He is to cameras what the lungs are to oxygen. Without one the other can't survive."
PETE PRISCO, CBS SPORTS
"I think the Jauron-Owens relationship should be fine. Jauron won't be pushed around, but he also won't play the I-am-king role that Bills Parcells played. Somewhere between the dictatorship of Parcells and the easy approach of Wade Phillips rests a coaching style that would be good in terms of handling Owens, which Jauron might be."
TIM GRAHAM, ESPN.COM
"But the Bills must be applauded for trying something different. They badly needed another offensive weapon and more help to overcome the likely suspension of running back Marshawn Lynch. Status quo wasn't going to cut it."
VIC CARUCCI, NFL.COM
"Most of me believes emphatically that this is a horrible idea. Owens is not going to suddenly become a team player after never having been one throughout his career."
GARY MYERS, NY DAILY NEWS
"It was almost comical last week how one team after another claimed to have zero interest in Owens after the Cowboys cut him. The Giants and Jets, who each need a playmaker at wide receiver, couldn't run away from Owens fast enough. The Bills embraced him and the love they professed for each other last night should last at least through the first minicamp."
JERRY SULLIVAN, BUFFALO NEWS
"Why not give it a shot? What do they have to lose? Tranquility and calm in the locker room, among a bunch of nice guys who haven't won a damn thing?"
BOB MATTHEWS, DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE
"The Bills proved they aren't always afraid to make a bold move in an attempt to win more games and entertain their fans. I salute the Bills for signing Owens."