Eagles Cry Foul Over T.O. Deal

[Laughing-Man]

Looks like TO was supposed to be an Eagle after all, but the 49ers shafted him. This was in our local paper yesterday and now it is on ESPN: Link.

PHILADELPHIA - Terrell Owens was an Eagle.

For a few, brief moments yesterday afternoon, the often brilliant, often controversial wide receiver was actually a Philadelphia Eagle.

And then he wasn't.

Two league insiders familiar with the negotiations and speaking on the condition of anonymity said last night the Eagles actually finalized a trade with the 49ers and hammered out a long-term, multi-million dollar contract with Owens, only to see the 49ers - against Owens' wishes - ship him instead to the Baltimore Ravens.

According to a league official, Owens' agent told league officials last night he plans to file a grievance against the 49ers and NFLPA Executive Director Gene Upshaw was already involved.

After the agent, David Joseph, made a clerical error that prevented Owens from becoming an unrestricted free agent, the 49ers granted Joseph permission to negotiate a contract with a team of Owens' choosing.

The 49ers assured Joseph and Owens they would execute that trade, as long as they could reach agreement with that team on terms of a trade.

The Jets, Falcons, Browns, Eagles and Ravens showed initial interest in Owens when the NFL's free agency and trading period began at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, but by late yesterday morning, only the Ravens and Eagles were still involved.

And when the Eagles offered Owens a massive contract with a huge signing bonus, he and Joseph accepted.

Eagles president and chief contract negotiator Joe Banner and 49ers general manager Terry Donahue then agreed on terms of a trade that would send the 49ers a fifth-round draft pick and a player, believed to be wide receiver James Thrash.

"Terrell was ecstatic," said a second league insider, an NFL agent who is familiar with the details of yesterday's negotiations. "Philly is where he wanted to go all along. He was under the impression he was an Eagle. It was a done deal."

But before the paperwork was signed, Donahue quietly accepted the Ravens' offer of a second-round pick in this year's draft and filed trade papers with the NFL without informing Joseph or Banner or giving them a chance to match the offer.

The Eagles, the second source said, did not learn the 49ers had shipped Owens to the Ravens until a team employee saw a report on ESPN yesterday afternoon. And Joseph didn't know about the trade until he got a phone call from the Eagles moments later.

The first source, a league personnel official, said Joseph and Owens were furious with the 49ers.

Owens did not have a contract negotiated with the Ravens and as of now, they are simply paying him according to the final three years of his original deal with the 49ers that Joseph was unable to void.

That deal pays him $5.3 million in 2004, $5.9 million in 2005 and $6.5 million in 2006 with no signing bonus.

The second league source said the Eagles' offer included a signing bonus over $10 million averaging over $6 million per year.

So Donahue's maneuver could cost Owens millions of dollars.

Banner did not return a message left in his office last night. Joseph did not return messages left at his office in Greensboro, N.C. Donahue was unavailable for comment.

Owens caught 592 passes for 8,572 yards and 81 touchdowns in eight seasons with the 49ers and would have given the Eagles their first big-ticket wide receiver since Irving Fryar in the mid-1990s.

Eagles head coach Andy Reid's pursuit of Owens, who he coached at two Pro Bowls, is his first concession of the obvious, that the Eagles desperately need to upgrade their wide receivers.

Starters Thrash and Todd Pinkston combined for just three touchdown catches last year and had only one catch for nine yards - plus two drops that led to interceptions - in the Eagles' NFC Championship Game loss to the Panthers.

With Owens a Raven, Steve Smith re-signing in Carolina and Justin McCareins getting the highest tender from the Titans and off the Eagles' shopping list, the only top wide out still available is Darrell Jackson of the Seahawks, and it remains to be seen whether the Eagles will pursue him.

[....]

lol! Whaaaaaa!

[BMac]

Too little to late. He's a Raven the only thing left is for the people of Philly to cry about it.

[Rell]

:angry: I'm exteremely angry over this... I hope the damn 49ers get what they deserve for this...

First the Free Agency problem and now this? ... I think the 49ers were set on not having T.O. being an eagle! :angry:

[-=SD=-]

That's crazy, the 49ers used to be one of my favorite teams, their recent run of dropping players and coaches has put a stop to that. :(

[Stokkolm]

I think the Eagles will still get him. They'll give Baltimore anything for him if they have to.

[kainashi]

I think the Eagles will still get him. They'll give Baltimore anything for him if they have to.

i sure hope so. :(

[Stokkolm]

Owens may not play for Baltimore even if he doesn't get traded to the Eagles. CNN's article makes it sound that way anyhow.

[mattmatik]

This is ridiculous. If a player can just up and say "I don't want to play for this team, I want to play for that team" and the NFL lets him, as far as I'm concerned, I'm no longer interested in the NFL. That's just absolute crap. Owens is an immature, whiny little kid. The facts are there: he didn't fill out the paperwork, he was under 49er contract, they traded him.

WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?

And why would the 49ers trade him to Philly for a 5th round pick and James freakin Thrash? That's retarded. They picked the most logical trade and got a 2nd round pick. That little ****** deserves everything coming to him. He bitches to reporters about the organization, he bitches about coaches, he bitches about his quarterback and teammates, bitches about fans...

He's starting to make Randy Moss look better and better every day.

[Stokkolm]

This is ridiculous. If a player can just up and say "I don't want to play for this team, I want to play for that team" and the NFL lets him, as far as I'm concerned, I'm no longer interested in the NFL. That's just absolute crap. Owens is an immature, whiny little kid. The facts are there: he didn't fill out the paperwork, he was under 49er contract, they traded him.

WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?

And why would the 49ers trade him to Philly for a 5th round pick and James freakin Thrash? That's retarded. They picked the most logical trade and got a 2nd round pick. That little ****** deserves everything coming to him. He bitches to reporters about the organization, he bitches about coaches, he bitches about his quarterback and teammates, bitches about fans...

He's starting to make Randy Moss look better and better every day.

That's a good perspective, still I hope he goes to the Eagles.

[CatnipOligarchy]

lost in all this is that the 49ers are going to suck next year :woot:

[Toxikk Veteran]

true that catnip/

[Remote]

I am from baltimore and I love the ravens. I am disappointed in how ownes is taking this and I dont think the fans of Bmore are too happy either.

I dont think the ravens will/should trade them since they acquired him legally. He should be responsible for his own faults (not filing for free agency). I do understand why he would be mad, cause he is losing alot of money, but too bad. Be a man and take it.

He is filing for grevience which the NFL wont even consider because it would be going against everything the NFL stands for.

As a ravens fan, we need a reciever like him, but me personally, if he says something, anything, negative about baltimore and is a cry baby during the season, I want him gone.

I think baltimore has the best team moral and I dont care how good you are, I dont want that messed up with my team. If thats the case, trade him to whereever. Problem is, we are only missing a reciever, and there are none left.

[Xeonic]

This is ridiculous. If a player can just up and say "I don't want to play for this team, I want to play for that team" and the NFL lets him, as far as I'm concerned, I'm no longer interested in the NFL. That's just absolute crap. Owens is an immature, whiny little kid. The facts are there: he didn't fill out the paperwork, he was under 49er contract, they traded him.

WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?

And why would the 49ers trade him to Philly for a 5th round pick and James freakin Thrash? That's retarded. They picked the most logical trade and got a 2nd round pick. That little ****** deserves everything coming to him. He bitches to reporters about the organization, he bitches about coaches, he bitches about his quarterback and teammates, bitches about fans...

He's starting to make Randy Moss look better and better every day.

I dunno why the 49ers traded to the Ravens, at least they were getting something in return with James Thrash...The Eagles deal seemed to make better sense to me, as opposed to the Baltimore deal...

[....]

I dunno why the 49ers traded to the Ravens, at least they were getting something in return with James Thrash...The Eagles deal seemed to make better sense to me, as opposed to the Baltimore deal...

I respectfully disagree, James Thrash is a bad WR, and the 5th round pick is usually worthless.

Baltimore's the perfect fit for Owens. Idiot in Thugville.

[Remote]

I respectfully disagree, James Thrash is a bad WR, and the 5th round pick is usually worthless.

Baltimore's the perfect fit for Owens. Idiot in Thugville.

Dont hate that we have argueablly the best 7 players in the NFL in their respective positions

[acidic-e-]

All of you are missing the point here.

The deal was basicly a done deal between the 49ers and The Eagles. The Ravens come along and want to give something a little better. Fine that happens all of the time no biggie. The problem is that without EVEN letting T.O. and his agent know and just saying ok it's done we don't care what you want. The 49er's Terry Donahue has pretty much said FU to T.O I will do what I want you no longer matter. Now what have the 9er's gained from this. Wow a 2nd Round pick big deal the 9er's have not played good in years and this is supossed to help them right? What was done is wrong anyway you look at it. As for T.O being a whiny bitch. He has the right to bitch right now since everything was said to be a go. All the details were hammered out and Terry Donahue agreed to the terms. The main point here is Terry Donahue AGREED to the tearms of the deal the Eagles had given him. In other words T.O was now an Eagles player and he was going to play with a Coach he wanted to play for. Also he could of had other reasons for wanting to Play for the Eagles maybe he has family there and he wants to see them more then he does now no one knows this. Yet you label him a whiny bitch because he just got screwed and you think it's ok yet he does not. What Terry Donahue did was wrong plain and simple when all he had to do was tell the eagles that he got a better deal and ask if they wanted to try and match it. It would have been that simple.

[acidic-e-]

Dont hate that we have argueablly the best 7 players in the NFL in their respective positions

Yeah it shows that considering that You didn't make it to the superbowl. Nor did my team but that's not the point. 7 players does not make a team. Who cares if they are the best. What matters at the end of the year is who has the ring on there finger and everyone knows that. And it's not 7 players that get you there it's the entire team that works the hardest and the best together.

[....]

Dont hate that we have argueablly the best 7 players in the NFL in their respective positions

I would be very entertained to hear who they are. I can only think of one legit one. Ray Lewis.

[AJerman]

I will have to hope that he doesn't go to Philly because that would definatly make them the team to beat next year. Sending him to the AFC means less of a worry in the NFC.

I'm just waiting for my Panthers to repeat ;)

[Remote]

I would be very entertained to hear who they are. I can only think of one legit one. Ray Lewis.

We only didnt make it to the superbowl because a team is nothing without a quarterback (even thought dilfer helped us get one, he was good cause he didnt turn the ball over)

WR - Owents

S - Reed

CB - McAllister

RB - J. Lewis

LB - R. Lewis

OT - Ogden

TE - Heap

They all may not be the best. But definatly top 3 in the NFL and thats saying something for all being on the same team.

[....]

WR - Owents

S - Reed

CB - McAllister

RB - J. Lewis

LB - R. Lewis

OT - Ogden

TE - Heap

They all may not be the best. But definatly top 3 in the NFL and thats saying something for all being on the same team.

Owens - I'll give you top three, but his name isn't Moss. Moss is in a class by himself. TO's stock is dropping fast.

Reed - Not in the top 10, IMO

McAllister - Good CB - top 10.

J. Lewis - His name is Priest Holmes. Lewis is an after thought, and after his recent problems, in the spotlight for the wrong reasons.

R. Lewis - I can't stand this thug, but he is the best.

Ogden - OT is a hard category to rank. There are so many good for so many reasons.

Heap - Not in the top 5 at all.

[Stokkolm]

Owens - I'll give you top three, but his name isn't Moss. Moss is in a class by himself. TO's stock is dropping fast.

I'm gonna have to disagree with you on this one. Garcia is good but he's no Steve Young, if TO had a quarterback like lets say McNabb, he would really shine.

[Remote]

Owens - I'll give you top three, but his name isn't Moss.  Moss is in a class by himself.  TO's stock is dropping fast.

Reed - Not in the top 10, IMO

McAllister - Good CB - top 10.

J. Lewis - His name is Priest Holmes.  Lewis is an after thought, and after his recent problems, in the spotlight for the wrong reasons.

R. Lewis - I can't stand this thug, but he is the best.

Ogden - OT is a hard category to rank.  There are so many good for so many reasons.

Heap - Not in the top 5 at all.

as I said "argueably"

Also dont forget that these people are all probowlers, so they must be at the least top 5

This is acaully just something I agree with. ESPN is where the arguement was made. So I got sportscenter to back me up =P

Edited March 7, 2004 by Remote

[StaticX]

i agree with Boog all the way where he said moss is in a class by himself, it doesnt matter what QB he has. Moss had Cunningham when he came in, then after Randle was Jeff George, and now Culpepper. Even when Pep was hurt this year and Ferotte came in those 2 games, moss was outstanding. Hes not know as the "super freak" for nothing. He makes plays, ( of course when he wants to lol ) but none-the-less hes the best wide out in the NFL today. And i still dont think he gets the respect he deserves. But as TO is concerned, hes good but twice Moss and Owens faced each other Moss came off the better WR. Sorry i hadda vent....lol