Getty Las Vegas Raiders Safety Johnathan Abram.
While most Oakland Raiders seem to be staying quiet regarding the Antonio Brown drama, it’s just a matter of time before the players start defending their team. Though he is just a rookie, safety Johnathan Abram has already been making a name for himself in Oakland.
He’s known for his non-stop chatter, thanks to HBO’s Hard Knocks, but his teammates believe he can back up his talk. But amid the quiet approach taken by many players, Abram opted to take to Twitter and send a cryptic tweet with a strong message.
Abram didn’t call out Brown directly, but it doesn’t take a detective to guess who he may be talking about. There’s no player in the NFL who’s appeared to be more willing to jump in the spotlight than Brown, and this is evident from his recent behavior. The fact that he posted a video of himself celebrating when hearing the news that the Raiders released him was eye-opening.
If anyone can play a role in getting Brown in line, it’s Bill Belichick. That being said, it may be tough to envision that marriage lasting. If Brown doesn’t make it work in New England, it’s highly unlikely that he’ll get another big contract in his career. He’ll almost always be able to find a job because of talent, but his days of getting big, long-term deals may be over.
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Raiders Players Glad Antonio Brown Is Gone
While the next week or so for the Raiders will probably be agonizing as they battle through Antonio Brown questions, the players appear to be happy that it’s almost over with, according to NFL analyst Mike Freeman. Per Freeman, some players apparently won’t miss Brown very much.
Raiders offensive player in text to me: “Everyone is happy he’s gone. We’re tired of the drama. Time for us to be a team again.”
It’s obviously not ideal to lose your most talented player two days before the season starts, but the Raiders didn’t have him much, to begin with. Raiders beat writer for ESPN, Paul Gutierrez, said: “As a #Raiders source told me after Brown took off the SECOND time in Napa…It’s not like we’ll miss him, because we never had him. Or somesuch…”
It’s starting to look like the team was more than a bit ready to show Brown the door. They tried hard to make it work, but the wide receiver didn’t appear to want to be there towards the end. If this situation would’ve lingered into the regular season, it would have been bad for the team.
It’s also not like the Raiders don’t have talent elsewhere. Tyrell Williams is an exciting wide receiver and Josh Jacobs could be a star at running back. Quarterback Derek Carr almost won an MVP way before Brown showed up and could get in the mix again if the offensive line can protect him.
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