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Done Deal: Terrell Owens Signs With Buffalo
As NFL.com's Vic Carucci first reported this afternoon, the Bills and Terrell Owens have reached agreement on a one-year deal. The controversial wideout was scheduled to be introduced in a press conference at team headquarters this afternoon.

According to ESPN.com insider John Clayton, the contract will pay Owens $6.5 million. Clayton and Buffalo News reporter Mark Gaughan are both reporting the entire contract is guaranteed.

Owens will be a major upgrade for a Bills team seeking more offensive firepower.

As FOXSports.com's Alex Marvez and Jay Glazer noted, Owens finished last season with more catches (69), receiving yards (1,052) and touchdowns (10) than any player on the Bills roster. In Buffalo, Owens will draw double-teams away from Lee Evans and allow Josh Reed to focus on working the slot.

The Bills also can't be certain about the availability of second-year man to be James Hardy, who tore an ACL last December.

Add in the widespread belief that Marshawn Lynch, the team's third-leading receiver in 2008, will face some form of league discipline after his latest brush with the law and the team's desire to add another threat was understandable.

Considering the two sides went with a one-year deal, the Bills exposure to risk is rather minimal.

And it just might pay off.

As Yahoo! Sports columnist Jason Cole pointed out earlier today (arguing that a one-year deal would be the wisest course of action for anybody considering signing Owens), the veteran wideout has been at his best in his career when he has had something to prove.

In 2000 when Owens was replacing Jerry Rice as the top target with the San Francisco 49ers and in 2001 when Rice was gone and playing across the bay in Oakland, Owens had his breakout seasons.

In 2004 with Philadelphia (after Owens' relationship with the 49ers hit meltdown), Owens was again at his best in order to prove himself in a new place. He had one of his better years and helped the Eagles reach the Super Bowl.

By the next season, he and quarterback Donovan McNabb couldn't play nice anymore.

In 2006 with the Dallas Cowboys, he was good again and was even better in 2007 when he was playing under a new coach (Wade Phillips) and wanted to prove that former coach Bill Parcells was a tyrant.

By 2008, however, it was back to meltdown as his relationship with teammates deteriorated to nothing and forced Dallas owner Jerry Jones to cut him on Thursday.

So, as Coles further noted, in five "prove-it" seasons: 433 catches, 6598 yards, 71 touchdowns. The averages during those seasons: 86.6 catches, 1,319.6 yards, 14.2 touchdowns

In the other eight seasons: 518 catches, 7,524 yards, 68 touchdowns. The averages: 64.8 catches, 940.5 yards, 8.5 touchdowns. ...

There will be questions in Buffalo -- first and foremost how T.O. will deal with Trent Edwards, who is only entering his second full year as starter. You also have to wonder how Owens will mesh with Buffalo's coaching staff.

But SalSports.com's Sal Capaccio, the man who first reported the possibility of this deal earlier Saturday, reports that it was head coach Dick Jauron who initiated the interest in Owens and relayed that interest to the Bills front office.

Jauron is known to be a low-key coach who values team chemistry on and off the field.

Jauron was rumored to be on the hot-seat when last season ended, but was spared by owner Ralph Wilson. News of the interest in Owens prompted Capaccio to speculate on the possibility Wilson issued Jauron a "playoffs-or-else" ultimatum for 2009 and to suggest that Jauron is now trying so hard to save his job that he is willing to make moves completely out of his character.

Worth noting: ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Len Pasquarelli are reporting that Wilson was the driving force behind this deal.

Whatever the case, it's a done deal. ... Break out the popcorn Bills fans!

One last note on this one. ... I should acknowledge here and now that agent Drew Rosenhaus' contention that T.O. would be signed within the week turned out to be true.

In a text message sent to various media outlets on Friday, Rosenhaus claimed that his client won't be out of work for too long.

"There are several teams that are interested in signing Terrell," Rosenhaus said. "I have been in negotiations with these teams. I will not identify the teams at this time. Terrell and I expect to have a deal in place by the end of next week if not sooner."

I was skeptical. And wrong. ... Kudos to him.