What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

WR Antonio Brown, FA (10 Viewers)

TheWinz said:
AB is a Kardashian.  Do you think Kraft would welcome him back if AB decided to forget the money?  At this point, AB would pay money to remain in the spotlight.
Click to expand...
I doubt it. I truly believe that NE thinks he is toxic and he would not be welcomed back. Even if AB was amenable to not fighting for the money, the NFLPA may not be, as it sets a bad precedent for other players (and may not be allowed under the CBA). The whole NE and AB thing is far from done, and I expect NE, AB, whoever is representing AB, the NFLPA, the NFL, and 31 other teams will have plenty to say about this once things heat back up again.

On a different note, why would ANY team trust Brown at this point? He is a train wreck that and a potential major liability. Even if he is getting treated and medicated, all he needs to do is go off his meds and the team could be named as a party in multiple lawsuits. Does anyone really thing AB is the one playing nice on social media? I highly doubt it. Someone else is posting and apologizing. So no, I don't think Brown has changed (or will change). 

Brown lied or mislead the Patriots from the time he got there. I don't think they will suddenly say "That's ok, no harm, no foul." I really don't see them going anywhere near Brown again, no matter what Brown claims he will be willing to do to get in good graces.

 
TheWinz said:
100%.  The only way I see AB ever suiting up for a game again is with a QB that won't put up with his crap...

Brady - Perhaps the only player AB has respect for.  NE let him play last year, but had to let him go for PR purposes.  They would welcome him again, but only if Brady stays.  And if Brady leaves, about the only place that would take both are the Raiders.

Roethlisberger - Too much bad blood in PIT, so this ain't happening

Rodgers - Aaron would be able to handle AB, but GB is too smart to bring in that cancer

Wilson - No need for AB with Lockett & Metcalf

Brees - see Rodgers above

If you ain't on this list, you wouldn't stand a chance with AB as one of your WR's.  And since I don't see a scenario where any of the bottom 4 QB's would be teaming up with him, that just leaves Brady.  Mark my words - AB will never ever catch another NFL pass, unless it's from Brady.
Click to expand...
One of your underlying premises here is that New Orleans and Green Bay are way smarter than New England.  I'm not sure you have the evidence to back up that claim.

I could see a scenario where Brady leverages his relationship with Kraft to get AB back, but it definitely feels like this is the third rail in dealing with Kraft.

Now if AB would come out with a MASSIVE "Everything that has happened in the last 3 years is ALL my fault" and play the mental illness card, I think the floodgates would open and 6 or more teams would welcome him with open arms, including New England (but not including PIttsburg and Oakland).....but that's a tortured hypothetical because I don't see any evidence that AB would be willing to go there.

 
SeniorVBDStudent said:
One of your underlying premises here is that New Orleans and Green Bay are way smarter than New England.  I'm not sure you have the evidence to back up that claim.

I could see a scenario where Brady leverages his relationship with Kraft to get AB back, but it definitely feels like this is the third rail in dealing with Kraft.

Now if AB would come out with a MASSIVE "Everything that has happened in the last 3 years is ALL my fault" and play the mental illness card, I think the floodgates would open and 6 or more teams would welcome him with open arms, including New England (but not including PIttsburg and Oakland).....but that's a tortured hypothetical because I don't see any evidence that AB would be willing to go there.
Click to expand...
Anyone taking AB knows going in that he's a loose cannon, able to go to off at any time regardless of what card he plays now.  It is a case of whether or not your willing to bring this cancer to your team for the talent he brings.  My guess is there probably is a team or two willing to risk it.

 
Wise Old Owl said:
Is he still looking at a suspension even if someone picks him up or is that over?
Click to expand...
Still looking at suspension. Despite the league slow playing the investigation and essentially keeping him off the field last year they don't give you credit for time served.

Even if he's cleared of sexual investigation charge even someone optimistic about AB returning,  like I remain, believes he'll get a suspension for conduct detrimental to the league due to sheer multitude of incidents.

 
menobrown said:
he'll get a suspension for conduct detrimental to the league due to sheer multitude of incidents.
Click to expand...
How many of those incidents occurred when he was technically NOT an NFL player?  Does the CBA grant the league the right to suspend players for activities when they are not under contract?

 
tangfoot said:
How many of those incidents occurred when he was technically NOT an NFL player?  Does the CBA grant the league the right to suspend players for activities when they are not under contract?
Click to expand...
I'm not 100% sure on this, more like in the 95-99% range, but I think once you enter the league anything you do is considered to be done while you are an NFL player.

Even a guy like Elliot got suspended for something he did before he ever played in the league. Can't recall if he had actually signed his contract yet before he did what he was accused, not sure on that but I don't think so.

 
menobrown said:
Even a guy like Elliot got suspended for something he did before he ever played in the league. Can't recall if he had actually signed his contract yet before he did what he was accused, not sure on that but I don't think so.
Click to expand...
The incident was from July 2016, after he was drafted.

 
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports a hearing has been scheduled for May in Antonio Brown's grievance against the Raiders

Brown is trying to recoup lost wages following his release. He had been due $30 million in guarantees. Brown has also filed a grievance against the Patriots that has yet to be given a date. Brown's NFL future will now take place in hearings, not the football field.

SOURCE: Jeremy Fowler on Twitter

Feb 20, 2020, 4:08 PM ET
Click to expand...

 
Faust said:
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports a hearing has been scheduled for May in Antonio Brown's grievance against the Raiders

Brown is trying to recoup lost wages following his release. He had been due $30 million in guarantees. Brown has also filed a grievance against the Patriots that has yet to be given a date. Brown's NFL future will now take place in hearings, not the football field.

SOURCE: Jeremy Fowler on Twitter

Feb 20, 2020, 4:08 PM ET
Click to expand...
Lost wages?  The guy didn't play a down for the team and was nothing but trouble.   Cost them two draft picks to boot.  It should be the Raiders suing Mr. Big Chest

I think he has a better case against the Patriots

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Godsbrother said:
Lost wages?  The guy didn't play a down for the team and was nothing but trouble.   Cost them two draft picks to boot.  It should be the Raiders suing Mr. Big Chest

I think he has a better case against the Patriots
Click to expand...
He begged the Raiders to release him. The Raiders complied with his request:

Antonio Brown asks Raiders to release him in Instagram post

The Raiders did void his guaranteed money; however, they went in that direction due to his behaviour during training camp and preseason. NFL contracts have standard language allowing for this option.

I might be missing something; however, it doesn’t appear to me that Antonio Brown has a great case against the Raiders.

 
Faust said:
He begged the Raiders to release him. The Raiders complied with his request:

Antonio Brown asks Raiders to release him in Instagram post

The Raiders did void his guaranteed money; however, they went in that direction due to his behaviour during training camp and preseason. NFL contracts have standard language allowing for this option.

I might be missing something; however, it doesn’t appear to me that Antonio Brown has a great case against the Raiders.
Click to expand...
What about NE? There is standard contract language about fully disclosing any information that would potentially prevent a player from fulfilling his contract . And NE added additional language that NE could void the contact if AB did anything uncouth that could impact the team. The issue for NE is they didn't drop him immediately and he played a game. Their argument will be he was not paid any of his guaranteed money, he reneged on the "prior notice of bad acts" portion of his contract (in addition to the additional language NE added), and therefore they don't owe him anything. I don't remember any prior situation remotely close to this, so they will be exploring new legal territory on this one.

Brown NOT being suspended or placed on the exempt list will probably HURT the Patriots case, as Brown's attorneys will argue he had no obligation to disclose his civil case and he has not been disciplined (therefore, he honored the terms of his contract). Of course, the THREAT of a suspension or extended stay on the exempt list kept teams away from Brown. At the time, there were reports that NE was told by sponsors that they would be pulling their $$$ if Brown suited up for the Patriots again. There was also chatter that NE got hoodwinked by the lawsuit and would not have signed Brown if they knew about it. By the time they researched what had already happened, more and more incidents came to light and things got out of hand.

I have seen some legal experts side with Brown . . . while several others have sided with NE on this one. It will be interesting if they poll the owners on this, as I am sure they will want NE to have to eat the money and take the salary cap hit. Who knows if that will factor into it.

 
The Pats signing Brown after his antics with the Raiders could end up being a ridiculously dumb decision. If Brown has a case and wins, they literally threw millions away.

Edit: I realize this isn't a groundbreaking take, just continues to boggle my mind that such a decision was made.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
https://us.yahoo.com/sports/nfl-rumors-tom-brady-wants-191438915.html

NFL rumors: Tom Brady wants Antonio Brown to play with him next season

Josh Schrock

NBC Sports BayAreaMarch 3, 2020, 3:14 AM 

On Monday, ESPN's Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler dropped their notes column from the past week's NFL Scouting Combine, and there was an eyebrow-raising nugget in the Brady section. 

According to Graziano and Fowler, two people close to Brown said that Brady and Brown "keep in constant contact" and that Brady has told Brown he wants the receiver to play with him next season, wherever that might be.
Click to expand...

 
@menobrown  from the Value thread

"The bolded is worse so if you don't think they are precedent setting comps I don't what else to say.

He also did not get traded from Pittsburgh because he acted crazy. He got traded because after the owner of the team took the time to fly to an airport in Florida to meet him and try to smooth things over AB still wanted out and they tried and successfully honored his request. And I think it's naive to think the allegations he was facing did not impact NE's decision to cut him.

I would ask you take any more questions directed at me regarding AB to this thread."

I agree the crimes were worse than what Brown did but that isn't what I am talking about.  I am asking for a comp of a player that has acted bat#### crazy in the way that Brown has acted over the last year.

  • He filmed closed team meetings and posted on social media (which was a big reason he was traded from PIt).  It was the first step of him "requesting" to be traded
  • He froze his feet almost off and did other crazy actions to force his way to be cut from Oakland
  • He had off field stuff in the criminal system and then continued to threaten the accusers via text when the Patriots told him to just shut the hell up.  This caused them to cut him after a week when he was really good on the field for a team that needed that playmaker.  The fact the Patriots couldn't get him in line is a big red flag with respect to his craziness.
The criminal allegations are bad enough (and similar to other players as you have mentioned) but the other actions having nothing to do with the criminal allegations are way over the top.  I haven't seen anybody else like this.  The comp I am looking for is someone that has done similar.  I don't think the VIck/Hill actions are comparable to what Brown has done.  If you do then we can agree to disagree again.

 
Thanks @gally for taking it to this thread.

I think at the heart of our disagreement on him playing again is if you think the league is keeping him from playing or that no team wants him once they think he's cleared to play.

I take it you think no one wants him. That's not impossible but not what I think.

I think the only reason he was not signed after NE cut him was that the league let everyone know he'd just put on the exempt list. You can say Drew Rosenhaus is full of it but because other sources echoed similar thing I believe him when he said 3 teams were interested in signing AB last year with the holdup being the league. Now AB has a serious legal matter he added to his situation so he's made it a little worse but I continue to believe that while his market will be super small, maybe 1-2 teams kind of small, once those teams know he can re-enter the league he'll be signed provided he can come to grips to with the contract which I assume will be near league minimum with some incentives built into it.

So when I discuss precedence I'm mainly talking about the league keeping him out. The league does not keep you out for acting crazy. As of now he's not even been convicted of a crime.  It's quite possible he's facing a suspension, likely even, but I don't see any precedence for the league suspending him for an entire season based on what he's done. In my opinion he'll get conduct detrimental to the league suspension and that's not going to keep him out the season.

Again I believe your contention is no one wants him even if he's cleared. That's were we don't agree. Did not think that was the case last year and despite his arrest over the moving van don't think it will be an issue when the league lets teams know he is cleared to play. 

In summary the only reason he did not play last year was the league and he will remain unsigned until the league decides his fate. Then I believe he will find a team if he's willing to accept the new reality of his team based risk free prove it contract and I think he will because I think he needs the money.

 
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports Tom Brady wants to play with Antonio Brown.

Teams who were in contact with Brady during free agency reportedly were under the impression that this was one of Brady's requests. Brown, of course, is dealing with multiple off the field issues, including sexual misconduct and battery, and is still under investigation by the NFL. Even if Brown is cleared by the NFL, it's not a given that an owner, general manager, and head coach would all agree to give him a contract, but a wide receiver trio of Brown, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin would be terrifying for the rest of the NFC.

RELATED: 

Tom Brady

, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

SOURCE: Tom Pelissero on Twitter

Mar 18, 2020, 9:16 AM ET
Click to expand...

 
Well Arians was part of the Steelers drafting AB.  But then they had that little Twitter battle during the melt down. I'd be surprised if Tampa Bay got him.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hoh said:
What an absolute slap in the face to Godwin and Evans.
Click to expand...
How do you figure? There is plenty of room for 3 WRs to be successful on the same team. The Redskins and Rams both have 3 WRs with 1000 yards in a season, that's just off the top of my head, I'm sure there have been others. IF AB can still play, why wouldn't Evans and Godwin want him to play and help them win. These guys main goal is winning a SB, not their FF stats. 

 
ffmail4me said:
How do you figure? There is plenty of room for 3 WRs to be successful on the same team. The Redskins and Rams both have 3 WRs with 1000 yards in a season, that's just off the top of my head, I'm sure there have been others. IF AB can still play, why wouldn't Evans and Godwin want him to play and help them win. These guys main goal is winning a SB, not their FF stats. 
Click to expand...
He’s been with the organization for 30 seconds and is already expressing doubt in his new team. If I’m Godwin or Evans and someone comes in and states they want an absolute head case on the team, I’d have a problem with that. Yes they don’t care about FF stats but these men still have pride in the work they have done and their importance to the team.

 
Do you think Godwin and Evans respect Tom Brady? All he's done in the league? I'm guessing they do. And if Tom can tell them, I KNOW we can win with him, he'll follow my lead, I'm betting that's enough for the Bucs. 

 
Hoh said:
He’s been with the organization for 30 seconds and is already expressing doubt in his new team. If I’m Godwin or Evans and someone comes in and states they want an absolute head case on the team, I’d have a problem with that. Yes they don’t care about FF stats but these men still have pride in the work they have done and their importance to the team.
Click to expand...
Bruce Arians uses 3-WR sets, on about 70% of his plays. Probably close to 80% if you take out GL sets. Perriman isn't likely coming back. I don't see it as expressing doubt, so much as adding to an already strong group. 

If Brown doesn't end up there, I think there is a very good chance the Bucs take a WR in the 1st 3 rounds, maybe even in round 1, depending how things fall.

 
I think they would find it odd that Brady would single out the strongest unit on the Tampa Bay team.  There are bunch of other areas Tampa needs to focus on than adding ANOTHER pro bowl caliber WR, and a cancerous one at that.  I would take it personally.  But that’s just me, I guess.

 
travdogg said:
Bruce Arians uses 3-WR sets, on about 70% of his plays. Probably close to 80% if you take out GL sets. Perriman isn't likely coming back. I don't see it as expressing doubt, so much as adding to an already strong group. 

If Brown doesn't end up there, I think there is a very good chance the Bucs take a WR in the 1st 3 rounds, maybe even in round 1, depending how things fall.
Click to expand...
I would hope they would improve their o line to protect Brady before doing that (taking a WR early) but who knows what Arians will do 

 
As I keep hammering home with AB it's the league keeping him from being signed, not that no one wants him.

So Brady possibly wanting him helps, but still got to get past the league hurdle.

On that note I'm wondering the impact on his status under the new CBA that will now have personal conduct reviewed by neutral arbitrator?

 
menobrown said:
As I keep hammering home with AB it's the league keeping him from being signed, not that no one wants him.

So Brady possibly wanting him helps, but still got to get past the league hurdle.

On that note I'm wondering the impact on his status under the new CBA that will now have personal conduct reviewed by neutral arbitrator?
Click to expand...
Does anyone actually think AB could keep it together, keep quiet, and not be a problem over an entire season (provided the league and a team even allow that to be a possibility)?

 
Anarchy99 said:
Does anyone actually think AB could keep it together, keep quiet, and not be a problem over an entire season (provided the league and a team even allow that to be a possibility)?
Click to expand...
Yes I do because he did it for most of his career and I can't speak for Brady but sure sounds like he does as well.

 
travdogg said:
Bruce Arians uses 3-WR sets, on about 70% of his plays. Probably close to 80% if you take out GL sets. Perriman isn't likely coming back. I don't see it as expressing doubt, so much as adding to an already strong group. 

If Brown doesn't end up there, I think there is a very good chance the Bucs take a WR in the 1st 3 rounds, maybe even in round 1, depending how things fall.
Click to expand...
Maybe the Bucs draft a WR in round 3 since the WR draft class is going to provide great value after the first couple of rounds.   TB has some other larger pressing needs that need to be addressed first though.  Drafting a WR in the first round would be a dumb move for TB.  Probably stupid move in round 2 as well.   

 
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport considers the Bucs highly unlikely to sign free agent Antonio Brown.

For whatever reason, Tom Brady is still stumping for this, but not even TB12 has the power to get Brown another NFL chance. Per Rapsheet, coach Bruce Arians did not enjoy his time with Brown in Pittsburgh. The Bucs, of course, don't even need Brown with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in the fold. This might generate chatter for a few more days, but it is not happening.

RELATED: 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

SOURCE: Ian Rapoport on Twitter

Mar 19, 2020, 2:25 PM ET
Click to expand...

 
Speaking in a Thursday radio interview, Bucs coach Bruce Arians said the team would not be signing free agent Antonio Brown. 

It's something Tom Brady has been stumping for, but it never made sense in any context. “There’s no room and probably not enough money," Arians said. "It’s just not going to happen here. It’s not a fit here.” Arians overlapped with Brown for two years in Pittsburgh and was reportedly not a fan. You can never say never in the NFL, but it would be stunning were Brown to get another chance after his past year off the field. 

RELATED: 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

SOURCE: Michael Giardi on Twitter 

Mar 26, 2020, 7:04 PM ET
Click to expand...

 
This is a no brainer for multiple reasons and makes no sense to bring Brown on board. What would make sense is bringing in Kareem Hunt.

 
dmac37 said:
This is a no brainer for multiple reasons and makes no sense to bring Brown on board. What would make sense is bringing in Kareem Hunt.
Click to expand...
CLE tendered Hunt at the 2nd round level. So they would have to fork over a 2nd rounder if the Browns didn’t match the contact. 

 
Anarchy99 said:
CLE tendered Hunt at the 2nd round level. So they would have to fork over a 2nd rounder if the Browns didn’t match the contact. 
Click to expand...
I know, IMO he is a top 10 RB who can do everything and RB is a position Tampa desperately needs. Yes I also know the history but getting a guaranteed proven stud compared to somewhat roll of the dice player in round 2 is worth taking the chance. Is there a chance whoever they take in round 2 at any position will be as good as Hunt, possibly but I say the odds are heavy against that happening.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

massraider
College WR Jermaine Burton, Alabama
Replies
13
Views
462
Faust
Faust
Ministry of Pain
Atlanta Falcons Offense '24- WR/RB/TE/QB and the OL
Replies
3
Views
187
zamboni
zamboni
ZWK
ZWK's 2024 Prospect Analysis
2
Replies
51
Views
4K
(HULK)
(HULK)

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 11 (members: 0, guests: 11)
Top