Tony Gutierrez / AP

No injury to overcome, something to prove — it all adds up to Terrell Owens' being the comeback player of the year, MSNBC.com contributor Don Pierson writes.

Q: The Eagles did nothing in the offseason! What is the deal here? Did they spend too much money on T.O. then lose him and lost the opportunity to sign some other wide receivers, or are they pulling a fast one here? And no help for the lousy running game? Huh?
— Brian Hammond, Lanham, Md.

A: It’s not a matter of money. Nobody manages their salary cap better than the Eagles. They are not in the kind of cap limbo that strapped San Francisco or Dallas or Tennessee. They prefer to build a team mainly from within, trusting in second-year draftees such as receiver Reggie Brown and running back Ryan Moats to make fans forget how thin they appear at both skill positions. Although it was surprising that they didn’t go after some of the available veteran wide receivers such as Eric Moulds or Javon Walker more aggressively, coach Andy Reid saw how successful his system worked with lesser lights such as Todd Pinkney and decided a player like Jabar Gaffney will do. Reid is a former offensive lineman who knows the strength of teams starts up front on both sides of the ball and the Eagles have done a good job maintaining and gaining in those areas. Reid also knows the real key to an Eagle comeback is with quarterback Donovan McNabb.

Q: Does T.O. have a no-release clause in his contract with the Cowboys? Bill Parcells is a no-nonsense coach and won’t tolerate confrontational flareups with any player questioning his coaching decisions. You know it’s going to happen with T.O., so does he go or stay when it happens?
— John, Killeen, Texas

A: I know of no such clause protecting Owens and would be surprised if anything like that existed. I also would be surprised, however, if Owens is a problem in 2006. He’s playing for a professional future and he knows it. He will be 33 in December and doesn’t have a whole lot of years left to fool around. Not that many teams were seriously interested in him this time, and fewer will be willing to take a risk if there is a next time. Maybe I’m naïve, but he seems like a fairly sure bet this season. In Dallas, it’s also a fair bet that he will outlast Parcells.

Q: This should just be about it for Jake Plummer. He has had more than enough chances to do something in Denver. Do you think if Plummer starts to tank early, that Mike Shanahan will go with Jay Cutler and start grooming him early?
— Calvin Walker, St. Louis

A: I agree this is the make-or-break season for Plummer, but I can’t see a change during the season. He would have to “tank” really badly, which I don’t see him doing. It’s in the playoffs where he will have to take it to another level and by then, it will be too late to go to a rookie. Injury is the only way Cutler will get to play in 2006. If the Broncos don’t make it to a Super Bowl and Plummer doesn’t play any better than he did in last year’s AFC title game loss against Pittsburgh, look for Cutler to get his chance in 2007 training camp.

Q: With Herm Edwards being a defensive-minded coach, do you see problems on the horizon between him and Gunther Cunningham?
— Ray Jones, Blue Springs, Mo.

A: No, because Cunningham no longer poses a threat to any head coach. He’s already been there, done that as head coach of the Chiefs and even returned to the organization as defensive coordinator after coaching in Tennessee for a couple of years. So he is the definition of a good soldier and will do whatever Edwards suggests. If he doesn’t, it would be professional suicide. That being said, working under Herm as defensive coordinator isn’t the easiest job in the world. Ted Cottrell didn’t last in New York. Donnie Henderson and Herm had differences of opinion. But in the case of Cunningham, friction shouldn’t necessarily mean there are irreconcilable problems.

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