No T.O.

Because someone who wanted to know about Al Davis acuqiring Terrell Owens landed here, I'll throw in my opinion on the matter: not a chance.

The Raiders have taken on controversial characters in the past, and certainly some have imagined a Moss-Owens tandem and drooled. Still, the Raiders won't do it for these reasons:

1) They still have a defense to rebuild. The Raiders will need to go hunting for linebackers next offseason. The defensive line has come together and developed an identity, and the secondary has a lot of upside to it. But we need some playmakers (other than Morrison and Clark) at LB, or the Raiders will be stuck in the big nickel for the rest of their lives.

2) They have a crew of talented receivers to complement Moss already. They only this year gave Jerry Porter a very rich long term deal. Terrell Owens might be an upgrade over Porter, but is he enough of one to put up with all the nonsense he brings with him? I doubt it.

3) At 3-5, the Raiders are in a fragile psychological state. Another couple of losses and the coaches may have a hard time keeping the team together as it is. Why bring in Owens and blow everything up?

4) Owens's age. He's already in his thirties, and the Raiders can't expect to get too many more good years out of him. While that hasn't stopped Oakland before, it might here, because they're trying to develop so many talented younger players at the position.

5) Drew Rosenhaus. The Raiders have enough problems with Poston (Charles Woodson's agent). Why should Davis, Trask, and Lombardi make their lives harder still by taking on not only Owens but his miserable representative?

6) The Salary Cap: The Raiders don't have the revenue to pay Owens the guaranteed money that he would almost certainly demand, nor can they afford the hit against the cap they'd take for him.

There are teams I can see taking a flyer on Owens--the Jets, Baltimore, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, or Tampa Bay. But the Raiders don't really need him, can't really afford him, and probably don't want him.

Now watch them trade for him and make me look like a dork. It's happened before.