WR Antonio Brown, FA (5 Viewers)

[menobrown]

ESPN's Dianna Russini reports the Buccaneers are not interested in free agent Antonio Brown.

Bruce Arians said as much back in March, stating "there’s no room and probably not enough money" to sign Brown at the end of the day. The 31-year-old free agent has been linked to the Ravens, Seahawks, and Washington the past few months and reportedly has a number of different suitors waiting to sign him (per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo) pending the review of his legal circumstances. It remains likely that Brown lands with a team at some point this summer. 

SOURCE: Dianna Russini on Twitter

Jun 30, 2020, 1:23 PM ET

Lol at Rotoworld

The following is dates and associated comment from rotoworld on his playing career

9/30- There is a strong chance 31-year-old Brown never plays another down of NFL football.

11/19- We don't expect a team to take a chance on him next year, either.

11/21-With Brown's off-the-field issues still far from sorted, it would be extremely surprising were he to see the field again in 2019, while his entire NFL career remains in grave doubt.

And since end of last season till now:

1/14-The seven-time Pro Bowler tried out for the Saints last month but it's hard to envision the controversial receiver ever playing another NFL snap.

1/16-Brown continues to melt bridges and has all but forced himself out of the league.

1/21-Brown's unending legal troubles continue to put his career in doubt.

1/22-This latest antic further increases the odds that Brown has already played his final NFL snap

1/22-Brown has been a major off-field headcase who is unlikely to ever play another NFL snap.

1/23-Brown wasn't likely to play football again after a season filled with drama, but this latest incident should seal the fate on his playing days.

1/23- At this point, it would be a total surprise if an NFL team had an interest in signing Brown.

1/24-At this point, we can probably stop referring to Brown as a "free agent" and simply call him a former NFL receiver because his playing days are assuredly over.

1/28- It would not be surprising if his playing days have come and gone altogether.

2/16- Despite what he might think, we're a long way away from seeing Brown back on an NFL field.

2/20- Brown's NFL future will now take place in hearings, not the football field.

3/26-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. 

4/1-it remains unlikely Brown ever sees an NFL field again.

5/22- 31-year-old Brown should still be playing NFL football, but he has made it close to impossible. 

6/12-Brown has finally cleared his legal deck, but his odds of returning to the NFL remain slim to none.

6/23-It is truly hard to believe Brown might get another opportunity after his numerous off-the-field disasters and front office bridge burning

And finally we get this today: It remains likely that Brown lands with a team at some point this summer. 

 

[Faust]

The Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud reports the Bucs have "no interest" in free agent Antonio Brown.

ESPN's Dianna Russini reported the same thing Tuesday after The Athletic's Mike Lombardi "alluded to" the Bucs planning to sign Brown. Tampa Bay would instantly field the best receiving corps in the league if it happened, but it really doesn't make a whole lot of sense with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Rob Gronkowski, and O.J. Howard already in the fold as pass-catchers, followed by Cameron Brate, Scotty Miller, and Justin Watson in complementary roles. The AB-to-Tampa thing is largely driven by his relationship with Tom Brady, as the two have remained in constant contact since AB's departure from New England. It does, however, sound like Brown will get another NFL chance.

RELATED: 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

SOURCE: Rick Stroud on Twitter

Jul 1, 2020, 10:15 AM ET

 

[Shrugs]

AB catching a ball from Wilson: https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1278503065448898560?s=20

 

[Mister CIA]

"AB to the Texans" is trending on twitter. 

The gifs are outstanding.  My favorite

 

[Faust]

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo said there is "a shot" the Seahawks sign free agent Antonio Brown.

Russell Wilson has reportedly been lobbying for his front office to sign Brown, who worked out with Russ in San Diego on Wednesday. Garafolo notes Brown would love to play in Seattle but that the Seahawks could be waiting for Brown's potential league punishment to be sorted out first. As long as Brown stays out of trouble over the next two months, there's a chance he ends up playing in 2020, even if it does in fact come after a lengthy suspension. A three-receiver set of Brown, Tyler Lockett, and DK Metcalf could force the run-obsessed Seahawks to finally let Russ cook. Brown is reportedly wanted by Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson, and other star quarterbacks.

RELATED: 

Russell Wilson

, Seattle Seahawks

SOURCE: Mike Garafolo on Twitter

Jul 2, 2020, 7:21 PM ET

 

[Blackbear]

I would not like this move. Given how much I like DK. However, maybe this is an exceptional move for Seattle. And they need this guy smoke and chill out. Not throwing chairs off ten floors up. Great thing for Wilson. Could see this happening. Good pick for Seattle. 

 

[Faust]

Deshaun Watson seems interested in talk of Antonio Brown to the Texans

 

[menobrown]

Deshaun Watson seems interested in talk of Antonio Brown to the Texans

A lot of AB rumors and he's sure to play for someone but if he did land in Houston I think he'd actually be an upgrade over Hopkins in real life. 

For fantasy purposes I'd much rather see AB go to Houston then Seattle and infinitely more then I'd like to see him go to Baltimore, really anywhere but Baltimore. Either way PFT is right on one thing and it's same thing I've been saying and that is I still think NFL needs to decide on his punishment before he signs.

And the takes people gave here over last few months saying he would never play again, that no one would want him, and his value in dynasty was same as nothing are about to look as off as the 180 I highlighted Rotoworld doing in their blurbs a few posts up. I'd be lying if I said I hated to say I told you so, because out all the opinions people had this offseason none frustrated me more then people thinking the reason he was not signed was because no one wanted him or had interest.

As for if he can keep it together? That's more debateable then saying he is done. I think people are overly caught up in the moment or have recency bias over the his  behavior his last week with Pittsburgh and time in Oakland where I thought his behavior and attitude was at an all time low and beyond any defense I can give for him. If he acts anything like he did with Oakland he'll quickly be out of the league and possibly this time it will be for good or a very long time. I just think people are to quick to judge him on his behavior from that late  December 2018-Sept 2019 timeframe and ignore the previous 9 seasons where his worst transgression was being high maintenance from time to time. So I think he's going to be ok, he got in a bad place last year mentally and since worked it out  but I would concede that thinking he might blow it again at least has some merit, unlike thinking on one would want him or his career was done.

 

[Casting Couch]

I think he'd actually be an upgrade over Hopkins in real life. 

I couldn't disagree more.

 

[Twenty-Four Eighty-Four]

Vegas odds still have him as a free agent Week 1.

 

[jadensdad]

I dealt him with a 2nd for cam in a Superflex.

 

[Wise Old Owl]

Vegas odds still have him as a free agent Week 1.

I wonder how that pays out if week 1 gets delayed

 

[Faust]

ESPN's Field Yates reports the Patriots have reached settlements in their Antonio Brown and Aaron Hernandez grievances. 

The settlements recoup the Pats $4 million in salary cap space from Brown and $2.55 million from Hernandez. They have now shot up from under $500,000 in space to $7.794 million. Slowly but surely, Brown is clearing the deck of various legal issues. 

RELATED: 

New England Patriots

SOURCE: Field Yates on Twitter 

Jul 11, 2020, 12:39 PM ET

 

[Faust]

Antonio Brown expected to play in 2020 NFL season?

 

[Faust]

Former landlord seeks immediate judgment against Antonio Brown

 

[barackdhouse]

Former landlord seeks immediate judgment against Antonio Brown

This line made me laugh out loud a little.

 

[menobrown]

We are a few days away from reaching the 10 month mark since NE cut him and NFL put basically put his career on hold when they issued the memo saying if he is signed he might be put on the exempt list while they continue their investigation.

 

[Faust]

Antonio Brown? Josh Gordon? Examining their likelihood with the Seahawks

 

[Faust]

ANTONIO BROWN'S QB WR IS 'RAMPING UP WORKOUTS' Before Start Of NFL Camps

 

[Cjw_55106]

He claims he's done on Twitter. See you in a couple weeks. 

https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1285279967069306880/photo/1

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Antonio finally sees himself the way others do - the risk isn't worth the reward.

And AB, you can't quit what you're not doing. 

 

[Faust]

Antonio Brown appears to announce retirement; Seahawks remain interested but waiting on NFL decision

 

[Faust]

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports the Seahawks have done a "deep dive" on Antonio Brown.

The front office feels they "have a good grasp on him as a player and as a person" but, like a handful of other interested parties, are waiting to see how many games (if any) the league suspends Brown for. Free agent Josh Gordon has also been training in Seattle and could re-sign there if he's reinstated before the season. All signs point to 32-year-old Brown latching on with a suitor the moment his discipline is handed down.

SOURCE: Jeremy Fowler on Twitter

Jul 20, 2020, 1:34 PM ET

 

[JohnnyU]

This guy changes his mind about retirement all the time it seems

 

[wgoldsph]

He claims he's done on Twitter. See you in a couple weeks. 

https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1285279967069306880/photo/1

Weeks?  I'll be amazed if it lasts days

 

[Faust]

Weeks?  I'll be amazed if it lasts days

Winner winner chicken dinner!

Two days after announcing his retirement, free agent Antonio Brown indicated he would like to play in the NFL again.

As stated in our last blurb, Brown wasn't fooling anyone. This is now the third time in the last calendar year that the 32-year-old free agent has not only hung up his cleats, but quickly taken them down hours later. We would expect him to lace them back up for either the Seahawks, Buccaneers, or Washington the moment the league hands down a decision stemming from his recent legal issues. Brown remains a confident selection in Best-Ball leagues since he offers a ceiling others in his range can only dream of.

SOURCE: Tom Pelissero on Twitter

Jul 22, 2020, 10:53 PM ET

 

[Twenty-Four Eighty-Four]

Shocker.

 

[King of the Jungle]

Whew....he gave his fan(s) a big scare there for a couple minutes.

 

[Faust]

Brown doesn't want to retire, demands NFL finishes investigation

 

[Wingnut]

The Kanye of the NFL.

 

[joey]

Who cares.
 

I hate that I keep clicking on this stupid thread. 
 

 

[Blackbear]

Seems bipolar due to CTE. The league should give him health package. If you let a guy like this play, he will flip out. My guess is this is beyond war time ptsd. 
 

something is wrong when a guy of this stature throws furniture into a pool with children. 
 

needs less made fun of, and more profession help. 

 

[simsarge]

Seems bipolar due to CTE. The league should give him health package. If you let a guy like this play, he will flip out. My guess is this is beyond war time ptsd. 
 

something is wrong when a guy of this stature throws furniture into a pool with children. 
 

needs less made fun of, and more profession help. 

Agree, Maybe he's somewhat like an addict and what he needs is Football. Blocking and tackling and that physical release of energy(?) that he gets from playing. 

 

[Blackbear]

Agree, Maybe he's somewhat like an addict and what he needs is Football. Blocking and tackling and that physical release of energy(?) that he gets from playing. 

I did see in his letter he has been going to counseling. So that is good. Maybe the team that signs him has to have counseling built into the contract. Hopefully each team has sports psychologist and life management counselors for these guys if they need it. I took a flier on him after reading he is taking counseling. This is maintenance he more than likely needs permanently. 

 

[Blackbear]

Letter is in this article... https://nypost.com/2020/07/23/antonio-brown-demands-nfl-to-resolve-the-investigations/

 

[Faust]

Lamar Jackson believes free agent WR Antonio Brown is "the type of guy we need in our locker room."

Said no one in the last two years. "I can tell in him he wants to win, We want to play ball," Jackson said in a conversation with team reporters. Jackson worked out with Brown this offseason, and second-year WR Marquise Brown is Antonio's cousin. Brown's 2019 season was full of twists and turns - from foot blisters to a helmet disaster in Raiders' camp, to playing one game for the Patriots before a number of off-field issues derailed his year and potentially a Hall of Fame career. Still, he has a believer in Jackson. Brown certainly will face league punishment if he does sign for a team this season.

RELATED: 

Antonio Brown

SOURCE: Todd Karpovich on Twitter

Jul 29, 2020, 12:47 PM ET

 

[JohnnyU]

Lamar Jackson believes free agent WR Antonio Brown is "the type of guy we need in our locker room."

Is he nuts?  Good locker room guy?  Isn't this the guy that was brave enough to skip meetings that Evil Bill runs.

ETA:  The missed meetings were with Pittsburgh and Oakland, not NE.  At least I can't find any links saying he did.

 

[menobrown]

Is he nuts?  Good locker room guy?  Isn't this the guy that was brave enough to skip meetings that Evil Bill runs.

I think Lamar is right.

 

[JohnnyU]

I think Lamar is right.

Ok, I guess we can ignore all the other stuff and the influence it could have on other players.  Like missing meetings.

ETA:   The missed meetings were with Pittsburgh and Oakland.  I'll correct my other post.

 

[menobrown]

Ok, I guess we can ignore all the other stuff and the influence it could have on other players.  Like missing meetings.

What missed meetings are you referring to? He missed a ton with the Raiders where he did act like a fool and I know of two meetings he missed with the Steelers, a Monday walk and Saturday walk through after he left the team. That's all I know about. You seemed to allude to him missing meetings with NE in your earlier post. If so I think that's false. There is a reason Brady keeps pining for him after just a game and 13 days of practice together in NE and it's not because AB was missing meetings or a bad influence. Per Mike Lombardi quite the opposite and if what he says is true safe to say Brady also views AB as a good influence because one of the reasons Lombardi says Brady wants AB on his team is that he relates great to the older Brady and the young players equally well and again per Lombardi, Brady felt AB served as kind of a bridge between him and the younger players. That sound like a bad influence to you from people who actually know him?

 

[JohnnyU]

What missed meetings are you referring to? He missed a ton with the Raiders where he did act like a fool and I know of two meetings he missed with the Steelers, a Monday walk and Saturday walk through after he left the team. That's all I know about. You seemed to allude to him missing meetings with NE in your earlier post. If so I think that's false. There is a reason Brady keeps pining for him after just a game and 13 days of practice together in NE and it's not because AB was missing meetings or a bad influence. Per Mike Lombardi quite the opposite and if what he says is true safe to say Brady also views AB as a good influence because one of the reasons Lombardi says Brady wants AB on his team is that he relates great to the older Brady and the young players equally well and again per Lombardi, Brady felt AB served as kind of a bridge between him and the younger players. That sound like a bad influence to you from people who actually know him?

I believe you are correct.  The missed meetings were with Pittsburgh and Oakland.  I'll correct my other post.

 

[Twenty-Four Eighty-Four]

Suspended 8 games.

 

[Craig_MiamiFL]

NFL suspended free agent WR Antonio Brown eight games for violating the league's personal-conduct policy.

Any interested teams needed to wait for Brown's looming suspension to be handed down before signing him. Now that this is out of the way, Brown can move forward with his football career. Despite his on-again-off-again relationship with the league, Brown very likely wants to play again. Lamar Jackson has been open about campaigning for Brown in Baltimore. He'll be available to play again in Week 9 or 10, depending on where/if he signs. Brown turned 32 earlier this month but remains one of the more talented wideouts in strictly football terms.

Jul 31, 2020, 2:31 PM ET

 

[Vandelay]

Gotta think he'll be signed by someone soon.

 

[Tau837]

Gotta think he'll be signed by someone soon.

I'm skeptical, unless he is willing to sign cheap just to sign. Two things:

1. This 8 game suspension covers 2 of his 3 off field issues this offseason, but does not cover the civil lawsuit by his trainer, which is set to resume trial on September 15. He could end up getting more games for that.
   
2. His suspension begins week 1, even if he is unsigned. So a team doesn't need to sign him to start the clock on the suspension. As a result, I would expect teams to wait until after week 1 at least, since signing a veteran after week 1 means their contract is not guaranteed. And, from Brown's perspective, he might decide it could maximize the value of his contract if he waits out the 8+ game suspension and signs late with a contender.
   

 

[JohnnyU]

I believe this is good news for Brown.  It will start the ball moving on the rest of his career.  He may not be of much value in 2020, but 2021 is a different story.

 

[Anarchy99]

I believe this is good news for Brown.  It will start the ball moving on the rest of his career.  He may not be of much value in 2020, but 2021 is a different story.

You make the bold assumption that he can go 12 months incident free, in addition to having his other unresolved issues all turn out in his favor.

 

[menobrown]

Gotta think he'll be signed by someone soon.

Agreed, but if I was him I'd hold off until all the opt-outs are over, which frees up cap space for teams and might create a need. But I don't think he waits that long.

More I think about it what he really should do is wait till his suspension is over and then sign. That way need might open up plus if the season gets cancelled he won't be under another teams control.

I believe this is good news for Brown.  It will start the ball moving on the rest of his career.  He may not be of much value in 2020, but 2021 is a different story.

 Also agree it's good news. It's the shoe that had to drop before things could progress. I wished for less, but this is what I expected. As for 2020 he won't  play until week 9 or 10(I predict week 10 vs the Rams) but that gives him a few weeks to acclimate and be ready when it's time to make money and win leagues. I don't think it's unreasonable to think a guy who when we last saw him play a full season was putting up the most dominant 6 year stretch in I think ever could come back and be a top 20 WR the second half of the season so to me he's absolutely got value for 2020 but the negative is this is going to be a tough year to burn a roster spot for 8 weeks.

 

[zamboni]

Even when he comes back, I think it’s far from a given that he’ll be close to what he was (talking on field only). While we’ve seen WRs continue to dominate into their 30s, he’s not exactly that young any more and a loss of a step or two could make a big difference. 

 

[Vandelay]

Agreed, but if I was him I'd hold off until all the opt-outs are over, which frees up cap space for teams and might create a need. But I don't think he waits that long.

More I think about it what he really should do is wait till his suspension is over and then sign. That way need might open up plus if the season gets cancelled he won't be under another teams control.

 Also agree it's good news. It's the shoe that had to drop before things could progress. I wished for less, but this is what I expected. As for 2020 he won't  play until week 9 or 10(I predict week 10 vs the Rams) but that gives him a few weeks to acclimate and be ready when it's time to make money and win leagues. I don't think it's unreasonable to think a guy who when we last saw him play a full season was putting up the most dominant 6 year stretch in I think ever could come back and be a top 20 WR the second half of the season so to me he's absolutely got value for 2020 but the negative is this is going to be a tough year to burn a roster spot for 8 weeks.

Seattle is my prediction too.  Especially after trading for Adams.