The news that’s put the NFL world in a frenzy today was the Oakland Raiders releasing Antonio Brown after less than six months with the franchise.
Brown’s time with the Raiders has been a rollercoaster to say the least, but as one door closes another one opens. The superstar immediately becomes an unrestricted free agent—the first time in his entire career.
With Week 1 starting tomorrow it’s unlikely that he’ll see the field this weekend but it is definitely a possibility that Brown will be on another team at some point during the 2019 season.
Any team that brings him in will have stipulations that he must follow and it’s unlikely that he gets anywhere near the $30 million that the Raiders initially guaranteed and then voided—which will be taken to arbitration surely.
However, talent trumps everything in this league and Brown still has that in bunches.
He can be an impact player if he gets back on the field and for these five teams bringing him in is worth the risk.
1. Seattle Seahawks
Oakland Raiders head coach, Jon Gruden is a headstrong, personable, outspoken, and direct personality. He and Brown got along well during his short-stint in the Bay Area. In Pete Carroll, the Seattle Seahawks have the closest thing to Gruden on their sidelines.
Seattle is no strangers to sudden splash moves, they just made a deal with the Houston Texans for disgruntled edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney.
They’ve operated as a run-first team for the majority of Russell Wilson’s tenure with the franchise. With Tyler Lockett as the team’s best option out wide there’s not only space—Seahawks have $8.5 million in cap space according to ESPN’s Field Yates—but a real need for an All-Pro type of player in their receiving corps.
The Seahawks are looking to reclaim their spot atop the NFC West and adding Brown is surely one way to do that.
2. Indianapolis Colts
Heading into training camp, the Indianapolis Colts were talked about a lot as a team that could potentially become one of the AFC’s contenders for Super Bowl LIV. The team had their best roster since drafting Andrew Luck. However, Luck opted to retire as he was faced with another lengthy rehab due to an ankle and calf injury.
The team has faith in Jacoby Brissett to handle starter’s duties so all hope isn’t no loss. They also have T.Y. Hilton and tight ends Jack Doyle and Eric Ebron as pass catchers for him but why not double down and bring in Brown to join that group?
Making sure Brissett has the tools to not just survive but also excel could go a long way towards keeping their heads above water this season. The AFC South is wide-open at this point and bringing in Brown could give the Colts a leg up on the competition.
Indianapolis believes that they still have a team capable of performing at a high-level. They also have the most salary cap space in the NFL ($42 million) so taking a chance on Brown wouldn’t be a monetary problem.
3. San Francisco 49ers
We are starting year three of the Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch tenure running things in San Francisco. The first two seasons started with promise but injuries ultimately undid the team in the end. The hope is that third time is a charm as the saying goes.
Hope hinges on the team getting a healthy and full season from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Since being traded to the 49ers from New England he’s played in nine out of 24 possible games for San Francisco.
Right now, his best receiving option is tight end George Kittle. If they want to make sure they get the most out of Garoppolo giving him Brown is a step in the right direction. Instead of trying to turn Dante Pettis and rookie Deebo Samuel into number one wide receivers before they’re ready, they can play roles their more suited for alongside Brown.
It also would be a bonus to rub it in the face of their Bay area neighbors if things did work out.
4. New England Patriots
Tom Brady is entering his 20th NFL season. He also just won his record-setting sixth Super Bowl. Things are not looking like they’ll be slowing down anytime soon for the New England Patriots.
When Rob Gronkowski announces he was retiring there were a lot of questions about who would step up to give the Patriots the production lost from the future Hall of Fame tight end. Heading into Week 1 the team’s top three receivers are: Josh Gordon, Julian Edelman, and Demariyus Thomas.
Not bad, but with Brown on the open market they could make it even better. We all know Bill Belichick isn’t afraid of brining in a player deemed as a knucklehead by another team—Gordon, Chad Ochocinco, Albert Haynesworth, and Randy Moss to name a few. If he’s willing to take a massive pay cut and adhere to the “Patriot Way” there’s no better place for Brown to remake his image than with the reigning Super Bowl champions.
A lot of the noise coming out after the Raiders released Brown was that New England would swoop in and turn him into MVP of Super Bowl LIV. It’s not entirely out of the question.
5. Green Bay Packers
The only team in the league with a win at the moment, the Green Bay Packers are not in the process of getting ready for a game this weekend. Maybe with that extra time off they will look into upgrading their brand new offense.
Matt LaFleur’s first game didn’t exactly bring a lot of reassurance that this new offensive philosophy will work out for the best. They scored just 10 points and outside of a 47-yard throw, there weren’t many explosive plays.
Brown is all about explosive plays. Opposing defenses already have their hands full trying to slow down Davante Adams, adding Brown to that mix will only make things tougher. While serviceable, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Geronimo Allison haven’t proven themselves as capable receivers. Bringing in Brown will give them a group that aligns more closely with what LaFleur’s mentor, Sean McVay has had in Brandin Cooks, Cooper Kupp, and Robert Woods.
Ultimately, the Packers went out of their way to break some of their norms—mainly spending in free agency—and an addition like this would fall more in line with what the “new” Green Bay has done. That first Lambeau Leap by Brown would be worth the price of admission.
