Cowboys' Bledsoe, Parcells Can Deal With Owens

OXNARD, Calif., Aug. 1, 2006 — -- Fourteen years of dealing with NFL receivers have turned Drew Bledsoe, an English major at Washington State, into an amateur psychologist.

"The receiver position in general has volatile guys who are highly competitive and often don't touch the ball as much as they want to," Bledsoe said. "I've dealt with a lot of these guys. Eric Moulds could be a pain in the butt at times. I had Keyshawn Johnson. I had Terry Glenn when he was young and went through some stuff. He's a different guy now. That's just the nature of the position."

By season's end, Bledsoe probably will be able to hang up a shingle and start a clinic. Or he might need counseling, because now he has to deal with Terrell Owens, who has trashed his former 49ers quarterback, Jeff Garcia, and ripped apart Donovan McNabb's locker room in Philadelphia. America's Team is adjusting to the NFL's greatest headache.

His entrance Saturday in Oxnard, Calif., was typical T.O. Thousands of Cowboys fans chanted "T.O., T.O., T.O" as Owens -- always the last player to run onto the field in practice -- raced to the field. He electrified the crowd with a 70-yard catch.

For skills, he's a dream. Owens is a rare combination of size, speed, breakaway ability, hand-eye coordination and hands. But as a teammate, he can be a nightmare. Jerry Jones bought the whole package for $25 million over three seasons. Bill Parcells and Bledsoe have to deal with the good and the bad.

"You don't think I haven't been observing and watching," Parcells said. "You have to live in a closet to not know some of the things. You look at it. He's here. So my job is to get that player into the system and get him going. There is no magic formula dealing with radical players. You approach it honestly and go from there."