Dallas Cowboys Sign Wide Receiver Terrell Owens

The Dallas Cowboys signed Wide Receiver Terrell Owens today. It ended days of speculation that Owens would end up in Dallas, after the Cowboys released Wide Receiver Keyshawn Johnson.

Quarterback Drew Bledsoe says he and Terrell Owens won't have to be close friends to make their relationship work, and that may be a good thing. Still, Bledsoe wants to get off to a good start with Owens, who very publicly burned the bond with his
last two quarterbacks.

"I'll be a better teammate, a better person, a better man in live," Owens promised. "I'm looking forward to this opportunity."

"We'll spend some time together in the locker room, maybe go out to dinner," Bledsoe said Saturday, shortly after the Cowboys signed Owens to a three-year, $25 million contract. "But ultimately, it's going to be a relationship built on mutual respect
on the field. If there's a relationship off the field, that's a bonus."

Not since Michael Irvin have the Cowboys had a receiver like Owens, a big and physical presence player, with a flare for making the big plays. It's why Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he considered the deal a worthwhile investment, even if Owens' previous antics "will open the door for scrutiny." Bledsoe agreed -- and said he's not worried about Owens' damaged relationships with his last two quarterbacks, Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia and Jeff Garcia in San Francisco. Owens squabbled with Garcia before ultimately hinting that the 49ers needed to bench him. He later questioned Garcia's sexuality.

"I think our team got better today, and I think I became a better quarterback," says Bledsoe.

Jones said he's looking forward to see how Bledsoe and Owens play together. He's also counting on the quarterback to help keep the receiver from being a problem in the locker room. "I think Drew Bledsoe will step up," Jones said. "He's a dynamic leader."

Irvin, who has remains close to the organization, says "This move for Dallas puts them -- and I'll say it -- in the Super Bowl," he said. He praised the move for how it will change the Cowboys offense. "You talk about what kind of problem they're going to have when Drew gets up in T.O's face," Irvin said. "He'll be up in T.O.'s
face and kissing him on the mouth saying, 'I love you. That's the
way to make those plays."

"It was much more than the commitment from the team economically," says Drew Rosenhaus, Owens' agent. "It was the great head coach, the outstanding tradition, and a team on the cusp of being a Super Bowl contender. You've got everything you're looking for."

Says Cowboys Vice President Stephen Jones, "He's in tremendous shape. On top of that, he's a competitor. We feel he can be very productive for us the next three years."