Why Antonio Brown going to the Oakland Raiders still doesn't make enough sense
Okay let's get one thing straight: Antonio Brown is a one in a generation talent. He has consistently achieved over 1,200+ receiving yards for six straight years. He is a veteran Pro Bowl talent that safeties hate defending. But as we all know, Antonio Brown has been the talk of the NFL with the recent drama unfolding in the Pittsburgh Steelers locker room.
From Ben Roethlisberger openly criticizing his teammates to the drama with Le'Veon Bell and his contract, it’s pretty clear Pittsburgh was a toxic environment and Brown was ready to get out of there. The players, staff, and organization are clearly not on the same page. But for Brown to go to the media, complain about not getting the ball as much as he would like to, and then to go to the Oakland Raiders is not something that's easy to digest.
Antonio Brown wants to be the number one option and yes, he certainly will be in Oakland. But Derek Carr only averaged 7.3 yards per possession last year and had 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 16 games. The fact that Derek Carr couldn’t get over 20 touchdowns in a season should automatically be a red flag.
While it can be said that Derek Carr can rip apart a defense, but it is only a below average to average defense at best that he can readily break open. I will give him credit for making stellar plays in the week 14 matchup against the Steelers where he threw several dimes down the field that were for 30+ yards. He doesn’t do this on a consistent basis. In the 2019-2020 season, Brown may well be dissatisfied in Oakland because of Carr’s inconsistency.
One could say that the new Oakland No.84 wanted to cash out. But if you look at the reported 3-year $50 million contract that he has signed, it's not much of an improvement over his previous deal with the Steelers.
If I'm Brown, I want to win, I want to cement my legacy as one of the greatest receivers of all time. And Oakland does not seem the best place to do so right now. The Raiders are currently in rebuild mode. Sure Pittsburgh isn’t looking spectacular, but Oakland is not much better. They averaged 29.2 points against last season, which was the last in the league I might add.
Jon Gruden did not set the world alight with his decision-making skills as head coach of the Raiders last season. From the Khalil Mack trade to the Amari Cooper trade, Oakland was clearly on the losing end on several deals, showing cracks in their front office as well. The Raiders have definitely dived into the free agency market, picking up respectable names such as Trent Brown, Tyrell Williams, and LaMarcus Joyner. But whether all the pieces will add up to a playoff run is a discussion for another day.
Before it all went down, Dallas and Green Bay seemed like the ideal spots for Antonio Brown. The Cowboys need that A-grade receiver to really push their offense forward and make them playoff-bound. And wouldn’t it be fun to see Aaron Rodgers launch the ball deep to Brown?
Going to Oakland still looks like a hasty decision for someone with a win-now mentality. Unless the Raiders are able to produce good draft picks, this team could still perform under par, even with the addition of Antonio Brown.