Buffalo Bills courting Montell Owens, two-time Pro Bowl specialist

The Buffalo Bills are hosting running back Montell Owens on a free agent visit today, the team has announced.

Owens, 29, is an eighth-year pro that spent his first seven years with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a former undrafted free agent signing. Though the 5'10", 225-pound athlete is a ball carrier by trade, his true calling at the NFL level has been as a special teams player, where he made two Pro Bowl appearances in 2010 and 2011. He was released by the Jaguars on May 16.

Buffalo's third running back, Tashard Choice, was re-signed just this off-season and proved in spot duty during the 2012 season that he can capably fill in as a running back. On the flip side, he only logged 42 special teams snaps over 16 healthy games, so that wasn't an area that he was necessarily counted on - albeit with a departing coaching staff. Owens has a stalwart special teams reputation, and he saw a larger workload at the end of the 2012 season with injuries in front of him, carrying 35 times for 180 yards with a touchdown in Weeks 14-16.

If Owens signs on the dotted line, he could end up being a player that seriously contends for a roster spot in Buffalo, where the special teams abilities of departed fullback Corey McIntyre need replacing.