Baltimore Ravens debates: Should the team go after Antonio Brown?
Richard Bradshaw says no:
There was once a time where Antonio Brown ranked supreme in the NFL as the league’s best wide receiver. Brown recorded six consecutive 100 catch seasons to go along with at least 1,284 receiving yards each year. Brown also scored 67 touchdowns in that six-year stretch and became just the second receiver ever to record over 5,000 receiving yards in three seasons. The numbers are staggering and AB’s run was arguably the most dominant in NFL history.
But that’s all ancient history.
Antonio Brown forced his way out of Pittsburgh in one of the most controversial offseasons for a single player in sports ever. Brown would get traded to the Oakland Raiders and never even played a snap in the regular season with them before getting cut. Brown would then play one game with the New England Patriots before getting cut again. All the meanwhile, Brown continued to shred his image with tons of controversies both legal and otherwise.
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For some reason, we are willing to overlook all of this negativity and all these red flags and welcome him with open arms to Baltimore? I don’t think so.
The Ravens are building something special right now. With Lamar Jackson at the helm, anything seems possible and the team’s Super Bowl window is wide open. Jackson also has a fantastic supporting cast around him, including Antonio Brown’s cousin, Marquise Brown. The thought of adding a former superstar like Antonio Brown to this offense sounds incredible, but it isn’t a smart business move.
Brown’s meltdown was historically bad. I can’t recall a single year’s worth of off-field problems happening non-stop the way they happened with AB. The dude has some serious demons that need to be ironed out before he can even think about playing football again.
With what Baltimore has built in terms of culture and youth they simply can’t afford to bring in a cancer like Antonio Brown to potentially set the team back. Brown is no role model and he’s way past his prime. A move for Brown is enticing because you obsess over the thought of what he could be instead of what he is: washed up. Signing Antonio Brown would be a mistake for the Baltimore Ravens.