AB signs with the Patriots.

[Sinistrous]

Per NFL.com.
They deserve each other.

[underpants]

1. Tom actually has a receiver?

Funny when I saw he was released I was thinking - does Belechik really want that headache?

The last time, the only time Brady had a top flight receiver (Moss) they went undefeated...except for one lucky play by the Giants. Gronk was top flight but not a wide out.

[RockRaven]

2. Josh Gordon too this year...

totally different kind of risk/headache though.

[JonLP24]

5. Main issue seems to be cannabis which should be legal

Players hang out at bars/clubs. cannabis isn't nearly as harmful as alcohol plus you can control yourself more. Plus it helps with head injuries.

When he is on the field he is very talented.

[Blue_true]

14. Exactly. All his suspensions were for Pot, from what I understand.

Now with the NFL running a trial with medicinal Pot starting this year, the Patriots likely got Gordon in that trial. I think Pot is legal in Massachusetts.

[underpants]

6. Two tight ropes

Should be fun to watch

Belichik has a history with castoffs. Like Bobby Cox with the Braves they seem to fall in line.

[Blue_true]

15. Gordon was suspended for Pot, the NFL is running a medicinal Pot trial this year.

In theory, Brown should be more of a question mark, but Randy Moss was a bigger question mark when he came from Oakland in 2007. One question though, with Brady being 12 years older, can he connect as well with three (they also have Demaryius Thomas) lethal downfield threats.

My guess. Edelmann has a career year as he gorge out on the acorns that defenses looking at Brown, Dorsett, Gordon and Thomas create. Plus there is James White catching passes out of the backfield and the Patriots having two young running backs that are good between the tackles.


Will be interesting to see how it all pans out.

[Blue_true]

13. Randy Moss was a big headache in guess (Oakland) before the Patriots

traded a song for him. He gave them two very good years before becoming an issue again, and he was gone. Before signing with Oakland, Brown alluded to playing with Brady, now he has that.

My guess, Brown get his act together for at least this year. With him and Josh Gordon or Philip Dorsett working the deeper part of the field, Brady should be lethal. Oh yeah, they resigned Demaryius Thomas, a big reciever who can perform some of Gronk's downfield pass routes. Gordon is also a big body reciever who carried the load while Gronk rehabbed last season, until Gordon got suspended for smoking Pot again.

The Patriots likely keep a tight end on the line to pass protect for Brady. That should make that team lethal barring no key injuries.

An interesting thing on Gordon. I believe all his drug suspensions involved Pot, with the NFL running a controlled experiment with medicinal Pot this year, Gordon may already be signed up for that trial as long as he does not do it in states where it is illegal (which at this point may only be Texas and Indiana).

[mr_lebowski]

3. As a Raider fan (since the 60's) ... I'm so fucking pissed off right now ...

FUCK YOU AB.

[Blue_true]

16. Yeah.

Barring injury to Brady, getting Brown to go along with Philip Dorsett, Josh Gordon, Edelman and Dametryius Thomas make the Patriots lethal. They can now soften up defenses for their run or short pass attack, having a young back who rushed for almost 1,000 yards last year and an even younger one who may be even better.

[JonLP24]

18. Especially when N'Keal Harry comes back healthy

You could make a case he was the best receiver in college football last year.

He probably won't get much playing time behind those guys but he is still very talented.

[Blue_true]

24. I think Thomas will be the big key.

He is a big physical receiver who can do more than Gronk on the intermediate routes, that should open up the top for Gordon, Brown or Dorsett. Edelman is going to eat up defenses on the slot routes this season if he stays healthy, look for a career year from him if all falls into place. My guess is Harry will likely be a Larry Fitzgerald type for them, a big body that can slash across the field or go deep.

Seldom does a team lose a potential Hall of Fame pass catcher and actually get better in the passing game on paper. Plus they have two bruising young between the tackle backs one who ran for nearly 1,000 yards last year, a bruiser on short yardage and one of the NFL's premier pass catching backs in James White.

Good thing my Dolphins are expected to suck this year, watching the Patriots may not be so brutal now.

[JonLP24]

25. I think Fitzgerald is a good comparison

I hope Josh Rosen works out for the Dolphins.

Cardinals & Sun Devils fan.

[brush]

27. I'm also a Raider fan since the Mad Bomber and Snake days. I'm pissed at how poorly the Raider GM...

handled this. Every time it was seemingly handled he comes in with the fines. Like his ego had to let Brown know who was in charge. Now we're gonna have another losing season because the fucking front office is terrible. Belichick and Brady will laugh all the way to another Championship game and maybe Super Bowl while the Raider GM will "gloat" about "well we sure showed him."

The object was to get him on the field as winning solves most ills. They gave Gruden 100m and they levy first the petty fine of 54k then when everything is seemingly settled again and they could leave it at that they had to get the last laugh in with a 250k fine.

Re-fucking-diculous!

We've been a laughing stock of the league for years and now it continues as Brown goes to another team who knows the important thing is getting him on the field.

[IggleDuer]

4. This morning he woke up a Raider.

This afternoon he signs a multi-million contract with the Patriots. Maybe Belichick “suggested” his misbehavior so Oakland would cut him. Then the Patriots swooped in. Fascinating.

[underpants]

7. 1 year too.

at 31 he has a proving year and then one more contract. He's in good shape...from the neck down.

[yonder]

12. "from the neck down." Good one, I agree.

He's a guy blessed with athleticism and talent and yet the me, me, me may control the rest of his career, however long that might be.

Good luck to Belichick.

[Blue_true]

17. Belichick did it with Moss.

But AB seems to be a truly new case, he has shot his way out of two cities already (actually, Moss had done the same thing).

[Brother Buzz]

31. Was Antonio Brown saga a ploy? A Patriots game? Or just Raiders as usual?

Was Antonio Brown saga a ploy? A Patriots game? Or just Raiders as usual?

Ann Killion - S.F. Chronicle

August 7th, 2019

Was Bill Belichick, previously known as the master of Spygate and Deflategate, behind the whole Crazygate?

An absolutely insane 48 hours — including secretly recorded phone calls, Instagram wars and the release of Antonio Brown by the Raiders — ended Saturday with Brown agreeing to a one-year deal with the New England Patriots. The contract reportedly has a guaranteed $9 million signing bonus and could be worth up to $15 million. Not exactly the kind of deal that gets pulled together in the amount of time it takes to watch a feature film.

And what a feature it’s been. Brown, who acted crazy enough that even the notoriously lax Raiders couldn’t tolerate him anymore, just got picked up by the NFL’s reigning dynasty. To play with the greatest quarterback in league history. And maybe win a Super Bowl ring.

Which makes one wonder whether the Raiders and head coach Jon Gruden got played.

<more>

https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/annkillion/article/Was-Antonio-Brown-saga-a-ploy-A-Patriots-game-14422109.php#

Killion sums it up:

"On Saturday, Brown looked like a crazy fool for a few hours, then crazy like a fox. In contrast, Gruden and the Raiders, who catered and begged and misjudged Brown from the start, look like they got played. It’s Year Two of the Gruden Era, and things are again off the rails before they have even begun."

[Freedomofspeech]

8. As a Steeler fan...

We do not care where he is as long as it's not Pittsburgh. I hope he continues his asshole ways in NE. They deserve him.

[CentralMass]

19. The Pat's signed him for 1 year $15 ($9 million guaranteed.

Deal. They don't need him and can just cut him if he doesn't behave. For that matter the Raiders gave him a 3 year $50.125 million dollar contract with $11.2 million guaranteed. However he violated the terms of the contract with his antics so the raiders don't owe him a thing after cutting him.

[underpants]

22. Mayock and Gruden seem to have handled this well

This season is a waste. next year they will be in Vegas and they just saved cap money for the off season. Vegas has a lot of draws for free agents from money (see Danny Gans) to a quick flight to LA. Nevada has no income tax.

Not sure who's on the market this year but Vegas is going to be a draw.

[Blue_true]

26. The market for 2020 looks thin.

After the Clowney fiasco in Houston, teams are signing their horses to extensions. Depending what happens with the Patriots this season, the biggest draw on the market next year could be Antonio Brown, followed by Clowney if Seattle don't extend him. If Brown behaves and plays well in New England this year, given his recent antics, no team in likely to sign him for more than two years, making the Patriots his most likely team to sign a two year deal with.

[brush]

28. Not in my opinion. Mayock couldn't have handled it worst. Two times it was seemingly settled then...

Last edited Sat Sep 7, 2019, 08:30 PM - Edit history (1)

he comes in with the fines to let Brown know who was boss. Dumb. Belichick was waiting in the weeds to scoop him up as he knows the importance of getting him on the field and helping the team win which cures most ills,

Mayock's ego apparently had to have the last laugh and now we Raider fans are doomed for another losing season and continued status as the laughing stock of the league.

They gave Gruden 100 million and couldn't see themselves through to forget about these comparatively petty fines right after things were settled.

Dumb!

Belichick and Brady get another top receiver to replace Gronk and we Raiders get laughed at again.

[mr_lebowski]

29. I disagree ... Sending fine letters is required by the CBA

first of all. You don't necessarily have to collect the fines, but you must document the team rule-breaking. We don't know that the Raiders were going to make him pay. Bailing on practice without team permission cause you don't like your new (safe) helmet? Waaaaah! You SHOULD be fined for that.

Secondly, you can't just exclude one guy from the same discipline the rest of the team has to face cause he's a star & diva, doing that is very bad for team unity, corrosive you might say.

Thirdly, fines are part of the game, players should accept them when they miss practices and meetings that are mandatory.

Brown, instead of sucking it and taking it like a man, took it up with the GM (Mayock) on the practice field, in front of his teammates, and threatened to punch Mayock in the face over them, and had to be pulled away from him by his teammates.

It's been said he even called him 'Cracker', not sure if that's true but the threat is bad enough.

That pretty much tells you right there ... this guys gotta go. Those fines were a test from Grudock to see if he had it in him to play by the same rules as his teammates, and he FAILED.

F*** that punk. He never really wanted to be a Raider, it was never gonna work out. Good riddance.

[brush]

30. Thanks for the info on fine letter policy. Couldn't they have finesse that so that he could play?

[BHDem53]

9. AB?

[SallyHemmings]

11. Antonio Brown

[SallyHemmings]

10. I'll be surprised if he AB doesn't melt down before he suits up.

There is something truly tragic about someone being so “off” that he would screw up a such a lucrative deal.

I don’t see this ending well for AB.

Sad.


Glad the Eagles took a pass on him. He is Terrell Owens on steroids.

[underpants]

20. I heard a Pittsburgh reporter on Dan Patrick a few weeks ago

Aside from the things we all remember, he mentioned the 100 in a 45 speeding ticket and throwing furniture out of an apartment. He said "Something happened" and that the Steelers are just glad to be away from him.

Furniture
https://www.pennlive.com/steelers/2018/10/antonio_brown_furniture_lawsuit.html

[Blue_true]

21. He stands to make $16 million this year.

His contract with Oakland was 3 years for $45 million. So in theory he could actually end up making more over the next three seasons if he plays well in New England. If he plays well and behaves, New England likely sign him to a two year deal in the $40-45 million range, with $15-20 million guaranteed, so over three years, he walks away with $56-$61 million instead of $40-$45 million.

I don't know whether this works out as well as Moss, if it does, the Patriots are dangerous through Brady retiring (barring critical injuries)

[underpants]

23. Yep.

Josh Gordon in the slot or on the other side. 🤯