Getty Oakland Raiders WR Antonio Brown.
It looks like the Antonio Brown story may be coming to a head for the Oakland Raiders and it could very well end with his release from the team. With controversy after controversy happening over the last couple of months, things have gotten really bad over the last few days. A fight the wide receiver had with general manager Mike Mayock looked like it may have been resolved, but according to Brown’s Instagram page, things are about to get really bad in Oakland.
He posted a picture with text that reads: “You are gonna piss a lot of people off when you start doing what’s best for you.
The caption reads: “And that’s fine! I have worked my whole life to prove that the system is blind to see talent like mines. Now that everyone sees it, they want me to conform to that same system that has failed me all those years. “I’m not mad at anyone. I’m just asking for the freedom to prove them all wrong.” Release me @raiders #NOMore #theyputblindersonahorseforareason #NoMoreFake”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter gave some context to Brown’s post.
By fining Antonio Brown $215,073.53 last night for conduct detrimental to the team on Sept. 4, the Raiders voided the $29.125 million worth of guaranteed money in his deal, per league sources.
This could help explain why Brown is now asking the Raiders for his release.
“By fining Antonio Brown $215,073.53 last night for conduct detrimental to the team on Sept. 4, the Raiders voided the $29.125 million worth of guaranteed money in his deal, per league sources,” said Schefter on Twitter. “This could help explain why Brown is now asking the Raiders for his release”
I just got an email from Antonio Brown. He tells me the team “took away my guarantees.” He added there’s “no way I play after they took that and made my contract week to week.” So at this moment, once again, don’t expect AB to play on Monday Night Football.
This is a shocking turn of events considering it was just yesterday that Jon Gruden said that Brown was going to play during Monday’s game versus the Denver Broncos. Things started to get testy once again when it was reported that the Raiders planned to fine Brown again for his altercation with Mayock. The day culminated with the video release of a conversation that Brown had with Gruden. It looks like Brown’s tenure in Oakland could end before it ever really began.
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Would Any Team Want to Take a Chance on Antonio Brown?
If this whole flare-up ends with Antonio Brown being released by the Oakland Raiders then he’s going to be a free agent. It’s hard to imagine that a legendary talent like Brown, who is still in the prime of his career, is on the open market for very long. It’s obvious that he is a huge problem in the locker room. A lot of teams won’t even consider him because of the drama he will definitely bring. At this point, there is no reason to believe that he can control himself in any capacity.
The New England Patriots are the most obvious candidate to sweep up Brown. It wouldn’t be the first time they got a dramatic Raiders wide receiver on the cheap and that worked out great for them before. That being said, Brown is a different beast than Randy Moss. Bill Belichick may be the greatest coach of the modern NFL, but he may not even have what it takes to handle Brown.
Where Do the Raiders Go From Here?
The Raiders just need to accept the situation and cut Brown loose. He’s more trouble than he’s worth at this point and the team has some solid receiving help to replace him. Obviously, Brown isn’t easily replaceable, in terms of football skill, but a personality like his can destroy the team from the inside. Gruden values Brown very much, but he’s going to have to make the tough call here. Give Brown what he wants and make him somebody else’s problem. Oakland has too young of a team to allow a player like Brown to run the organization. Give the keys to Josh Jacobs, Derek Carr and Tyrell Williams to own the offense and the Raiders will be just fine heading into the future.
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