Last week, Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer explained that former Bengals teammate Terrell Owens won’t be joining Palmer’s new team because the Raiders simply don’t have any openings at receiver.
“The problem is that for him to get here there’s not anybody that we could let go,” Palmer said, “we have a stable of young horses that can run and guys that can just move, very young, very inexperienced but tons of potential and it’s tough to give up a young guy with a lot of potential for a guy that’s got a lot of history in the league that’s in his late 30s, so I can’t see him coming here but I had a good time playing with him and he’s an explosive player himself.”
That same reasoning apparently doesn’t apply to a guy in his mid-30s.
Adam Schefter reports that Palmer wants the Raiders to sign receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, another former Bengals teammate. The Raiders reportedly have worked out Houshmandzadeh, 34, and the team reportedly will give him a physical on Tuesday.
Houshmandzadeh, who spent six years with Palmer in Cincinnati, has gotten several workouts but no contract offers this year. Per Schefter, coach Hue Jackson had an interest in giving Houshmandzadeh a workout prior to the regular season. It’s unknown why the workout didn’t happen.
It’s also unknown why Palmer would want Houshmandazdeh and not Owens. But the fact that the quarterback who most recently played with T.O. doesn’t want him doesn’t bode well for Owens’ prospects.
