ELWAY NOT AMONG T.O. SUPPORTERS

Throughout his career, Terrell Owens has demonstrated the ability to galvanize teams — both fantasy and real — but also tear them apart. John Elway could not care less about your fantasy squad, but as far as his Broncos are concerned, he advocates steering clear of T.O.

The Broncos are reportedly interested in Owens, according to the Denver Post. But Elway, the two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback and Denver’s lone Hall of Fame inductee, thinks acquiring the star Eagles wideout is too big a risk for a team already on the verge of contention.

“I think there are a lot of things about T.O. that none of us really knows, but obviously he can ruin a football team,” Elway said Friday from Hawaii, where he participated in the Pro Bowl skills competition.

“If it were up to me I would say no. I think the Broncos are close enough anyway, and they don’t need a guy who’s too much of a risk,” he added. “The Broncos have a great locker room right now; they have a lot of good leaders in there. To have somebody come in who’s worried about himself and not worried about what the team is worried about, I wouldn’t do it.”

In speaking out against Owens coming to the Mile High City, Elway joins former teammates Terrell Davis and Shannon Sharpe, who were instrumental in the Broncos’ back-to-back Super Bowl wins in the late ’90s.

A tremendous talent that wore out his welcome with disparaging remarks and perceived selfishness in San Francisco and Philadelphia, Owens met with Broncos coach Mike Shanahan on January 30. Shanahan brought in Owens, who is expected to become a free agent March 3, after several Broncos veterans expressed support for acquiring the receiver.

But Elway believes the team should build on its success this past season without panicking and making a move it will regret.

“I think [the players] were looking at it as they were hurting by the loss and at that point in time, they’ll do anything to try to improve their team,” Elway said.

Elway was at Invesco Field at Mile High to watch his former team beat the New England Patriots, 27-13, in the divisional playoffs, then get ruined by the Pittsburgh Steelers, 34-17, in the AFC championship game.

“[The Broncos] got beat by a better team, that’s the bottom line. Especially that day. They got behind early, and they’re not a team that can come from behind,” Elway said. “They had a great year, but they weren’t playing their best football. The thing is, to get as close as they did, they’ll have that taste in their mouths and they’ll remember it next year.”

There’s no better receiver in the game when things are going well, but that’s not always the case, as the 49ers and Eagles can attest. Owens would get plenty of looks, even in Shanahan’s run-heavy attack, as the team’s #1 receiving threat. But you know the next indefinite suspension is just around the corner. Prospective fantasy owners should exercise the same caution when it comes to this man. His talent is tempting, but the risk (especially early in your draft) could be too great.