Cowboys release Keyshawn

[Piranha]

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Cowboys release Keyshawn

Dallas avoids bonus, possibly creates room for T.O.

 

IRVING, Texas (AP) -- The Dallas Cowboys released receiver Keyshawn Johnson on Tuesday, avoiding a $1 million bonus he was due and possibly creating room for Terrell Owens.

 

Johnson is a favorite of coach Bill Parcells and was only scheduled to make $1.5 million this season. However, he was seeking an extension and a raise, and the Cowboys apparently wanted to keep their options open -- perhaps especially because T.O. is available.

 

"Keyshawn is one of a handful of the top competitors that have ever played for the Dallas Cowboys," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement. "The more he was a part of our team, the more we appreciated him as a player."

 

The tempestuous but talented Owens was released Tuesday by Philadelphia, making him a free agent. Jones has never shied from big-name players regardless of the cost or risk, and the Eagles have long been wary about their division rivals trying to land him.

 

The question for Dallas is whether his pass-catching skills are worth whatever other trouble he may cause, especially since the Cowboys are coming off a 9-7 season and likely need more than a big-time receiver to reach the Super Bowl.

 

Owens and Johnson couldn't share enough catches in the same lineup, and almost certainly would clash in one locker room. If Dallas doesn't get Owens, they'd still need someone like him, a big, sure-handed receiver who can catch passes over the middle. Terry Glenn is the only other accomplished receiver on the Cowboys' roster and he's more of the small, speedy type.

 

Johnson turns 34 this summer and is coming off a solid season. He led the team in receptions with 71, and had 839 yards and six touchdowns.

[Big John]

 

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