Another player unsuccessfully courted by the Broncos was wide receiver Terrell Owens, who snubbed a Denver contract offer in 2006 for a more lucrative deal with Dallas. Owens reflected upon the dinner he had with Shanahan as he was being dangled as trade bait by a Philadelphia Eagles franchise that had grown tired of his disruptive antics.

"There was an opportunity there," Owens said. "I never got a chance to thank them just for the consideration. It just didn't work out. It was just talks and the beginning stages of me becoming a free agent."

Owens remembered the last touchdown he scored while with the Eagles came while he was being covered by Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey in 2005. Told by a reporter that it was a 90-yard reception, Owens corrected him and cracked up the media crew surrounding his locker by saying, "It was 91, to be exact."

With a problematic finger from 2006 now healed, Owens might be on his way to making those same kind of impact plays this season. But with T.O., you just never know.