INDIANAPOLIS — The Buffalo Bills confirmed Saturday night what was obvious since the end

of the 2009 football season: the Terrell Owens experience was a one-year phenomenon in Western

New York.

The Bills announced they have informed Owens they will not offer him a contract for next

season.

The team also announced it will not offer contracts to two of the longest-tenured veterans

on the team ... receiver Josh Reed and defensive end Ryan Denney.

The decisions are not a surprise. All three played out their contracts last season and are

set to become unrestricted free agents on the first day of the NFL's new year, March 5.

"We wanted to inform all three players ahead of the start of the free agency period so they

could begin making their plans," Bills General Manager Buddy Nix said in a statement. "We just

felt that was the right thing to do. All three have represented our organization with class

and we thank them for their dedication and hard work."

Owens, 36, played one year in Buffalo for $6.5 million and was not going to be interested

in coming back to the Bills anyway, given the fact they are overhauling the team under a new

regime.

In a message posted on his twitter account, Owens said, "I would like to thank the great

fans in Buffalo, Ralph Wilson & the Bills organization for all their support this past

season."

Reed and Denney both were second-round draft picks of the Bills in 2002 and played nine

seasons in Buffalo. Both were high-character, productive players for the team but neither was

quite as productive as was hoped when they were drafted.

Reed, who was an effective No. 3 receiver for much of his tenure, caught 311 passes for

3,575 yards with 10 touchdowns. He ranks fifth in team history in catches and 10th in yards.

Reed started 52 of his 115 games in Buffalo. He turns 30 in May. His role diminished last

season, as he caught 27 passes for 291 yards. Reed's best seasons were 2003, when he caught 58

passes, and 2008, when he caught 56.

Denney, who turns 33 in June, started 32 of 111 career games.

He recorded 23.5 career sacks. Denney spent most of his career as the Bills' No. 3

defensive end. His best seasons were 2003, when he started 13 games and had 3.5 sacks; 2006,

when he had six sacks; and 2008, when he started 11 games and had four sacks. He averaged 19

defensive snaps a game last season, which ranked sixth among Bills' defensive linemen.

Owens led the Bills last season with 55 catches for 829 yards and five touchdowns.

But his impact was less than the team hoped and failed to meet the hype that came with his

arrival, which included him receiving the key to the city.

That was due largely to all of the problems with the Buffalo offense, starting with the

fact the team fired its coordinator and starting left tackle the week before the season. It

also scrapped the no-huddle scheme it had practiced all offseason after just five games and

suffered a slew of injuries to its offensive linemen.

Owens' reception total was his lowest for a full season since his rookie year of 1996.

Owens showed he still had the speed to get behind defensive secondaries. His yards-per-

catch average was a very respectable 15.1. He put himself in the team record book for the

longest play from scrimmage ... a 98-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick in the game at

Jacksonville.

Owens also steadfastly refrained from causing controversy, contrary to his reputation. He

refrained from criticizing the dysfunctional nature of the Bills' offense or anything else

about the season.

Nevertheless, given his age, the Bills need to find an answer at the No. 2 receiver

position opposite receiver Lee Evans for the long term.

The Bills drafted James Hardy in the second round in 2008. He spent the first half of last

season recovering from offseason knee surgery and caught just one pass for 9 yards in 2009.

The Bills need to find out if Hardy can play.

Given Hardy's inactivity, however, it's certain the Bills will look to supplement their

receiver roster in free agency or the draft, or both.

Owens, meanwhile, was not going to want to come back to a team without a proven quarterback

and starting over with a new offensive scheme.