Currently, the Seattle Seahawks look to be the leading contender to bring the services of AB to the gridiron one more time but that is only one of a supposed handful of squads who may be placing calls?
As the NFL heads into Week 7, the Antonio Brown sweepstakes has begun once again. The All-Pro Wide Receiver’s suspension is slated to end after the Week 8 games and he looks on track to gain re-instatement to the league which would allow any of the 32 teams to jockey for signing him.
Currently, the Seattle Seahawks look to be the leading contender to bring the services of AB to the gridiron one more time but that is only one of a supposed handful of squads who may be placing calls?
Brown shook up the NFL last year when, after a troubled departure from the Steelers and an abrupt stop with the Raiders, he landed in Foxborough with the New England Patriots. Many thought it was potentially a good place for Brown and Belichick and the Patriots organization have had a way of re-molding troubled players, just look at Randy Moss for example.
But with the Patriots receiving corps pretty set and Belichick not wanting to upset the apple cart again, it looks fairly certain it will be another team grabbing the headlines this time around.
If you’re wondering how we got here, you’re not alone. Many have forgotten that Brown was cut by New England and then suspended by the NFL in the midst of sexual assault allegations related to a 2017 incident. He then was charged with felony burglary and battery to which he pleaded no contest and was subsequently punished for.
Now that his punishment has been completed, the league considers the matter a past transgression and therefore is willing to give him yet another chance.
There is no question about the talent level he brings and his ability to change the offensive dynamics for a team looking for the next or perhaps last piece to a Super Bowl title. In fact, maybe he might be on his way to Tampa Bay to join Tom Brady and the Buccaneers after the QB, who was with him in New England at the time even publicly defended Brown.
The San Francisco 49ers have been decimated by injuries in the early part of the season and could use a veteran presence like Brown to assist QB Jimmy Garoppolo and allow Head Coach Kyle Shanahan to shift Samuel and Aiyuk into the screen slots giving him Brown as a prototypical wide out.
The Tennessee Titans do have a trio in the mix with A.J. Brown, Corey Davis and Adam Humphries so the calling of a fourth weapon for Ryan Tannehill would perhaps be a bit of overkill. Also, the Titans Head Coach is Mike Vrabel, the former Patriots great, who runs his organization on the football field much the same way as Belichick. So if AB had trouble in Foxborough, it’s not a forgone conclusion that Nashville would be any easier or better.
Could family be the structure? Baltimore would give that leverage as Brown’s cousin Marquise plays on the opposite slot and Lamar Jackson has raved about Antonio and how having a Brown tandem would be crucial to helping himself and the Ravens hit the next level. Though the Ravens have dealt with a number of locker room issues over the past few seasons, the thought of having AB for a late season or perhaps playoff battle against the venerable Pittsburgh Steelers might be enough to leave them salivating at the opportunity.
And last but not least, the team needing a WR1 the most, the Green Bay Packers. After the Packers dispatched their previous corps and left the position untouched during the off-season they have fumbled their way through the first six weeks with Devante Adams and Allen Lazard. If they plan to do anything with the remainder and seriously challenge a rebuilt Chicago Bears, they may need to just bite their tongue and make a splash.