Why T.O. will be a Cowboy in 2009

Since “Pacman” Adam Jones’ release, the talk of the Dallas Cowboys has been change. If not at the coaching position, currently filled by the Pillsbury Doughboy Wade Phillips, fans are crying out for Terrell Owens to get out of town.

But that’s just crazy talk. Jerry Jones recently pointed out his silence as a hint that he will be keeping his prized star receiver, and why not? Why would keeping T.O. be such a no-go for the Cowboys?

Letting him walk just doesn’t measure up to keeping him on the team, and there are plenty of reasons to do that:

1) 2007: Terrell Owens had 81 receptions and 15 touchdowns in 2007. The Cowboys went 13-3 as the NFC darlings before bombing out in the first playoff game against the Super Bowl-bound New York Giants.

In that one playoff game, T.O. was one of two Cowboys to score a touchdown. There’s no reason to doubt that he could produce the same numbers again in 2009 as long as he has a quarterback for every game — and not a Brad Johnson.

2) The Roy E. Williams trade: Some would say having Roy Williams is a good reason to let T.O. go, but they may be overlooking why Dallas brought in Williams in the first place.

The Cowboys traded a good chunk of draft picks to bring in the former Texas Longhorn and Detroit Lion as a second dominant receiver who could give T.O. some breathing room. Cutting T.O. would simply put Williams in the same situation, getting blanketed by defenses who aren’t scared of Patrick Crayton.

3)  Terrell Owens loves the Cowboys (or at least Jerry): T.O. tells the media he wants to retire as a Cowboy. He’s cried for his quarterback, and T.O. hasn’t stated any complaints that haven’t also come from many of the other players on the roster — *cough* Jason Garrett *cough* — about the way things went this year.

The locker room may be torn up, but T.O. cannot be held responsible for all the trouble.

4) Value lost: If the Cowboys dumped T.O., he’d just provide his services to another team and prove all his critics wrong. The Cowboys, in return, would be left empty-handed with an unreliable No. 1 receiver in Roy Williams. Jerry Jones knows how to make a deal, and that doesn’t sound like a good one.

5) Leadership: As bad as it may sound, Owens is one of a handful of players who could provide some veteran leadership on this team. He’s more vocal than most players and has the respect of many of the younger members of the team.

If Tony Romo steps up next season as a leader, Terrell Owens could be right there with him. It would certainly be nice if he could take a few receivers, including Williams, under his wing and show them the ropes before he leaves the game in a few years. Although, with that hyperbaric chamber, he may play until he turns 80.

That’s why T.O. will be a Cowboy in 2009. No need to worry if your fantasy football roster is heavily invested in T.O. or the Cowboys.

More: ESPN’s Matt Mosley weighed in with some reasons to cut T.O., but I don’t see Owens fading yet or blowing up on Romo. Tim MacMahon of The Dallas Morning News provided five reasons to keep him in response.