- The controversial wide receiver and the franchise from Tampa Bay reportedly struck a one-year deal.
- This move boosts Tom Brady’s offensive options, particularly after all the recent injuries.
- Brown was one of the top players in the NFL, but his off-field problems have ruined his stellar career.
Bucs and Brown to Agree on a One-Year Deal
Arguably the biggest move on the NFL free agency this year happened last night. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Antonio Brown struck a deal that would see the player spending the remaining part of the season in Florida. Tom Brady finally fulfilled his wish for playing alongside one of his biggest rivals, once appearing for the Patriots.
The deal has been confirmed by one of the most prominent NFL insiders, Adam Schefter, who tweeted yesterday about this news.
“Antonio Brown and the Buccaneers have reached agreement on a one-year deal, per sources,” he wrote, adding that there are still certain formalities that need to be taken care of.
The Bucs will have Brown at disposal for Week 9 against the divisional rivals, the New Orleans Saints. The league suspended him 8 for games, and after the next round, the 32-year old will be available to play.
Brady Pushed for Brown
Tom Brady didn’t hide his affection for having such an explosive receiver in his team. The two already had one short stint together in New England, once Brown arrived after being released by the Oakland Raiders without playing a single game for the silver and black.
In a confident 43-0 win against the Miami Dolphins, Brown caught four of Brady’s passes for 54 yards, one of them for a touchdown. The six-time Super Bowl champion was thrilled to have such a player beside him, but AB had to leave Gillette Stadium too, following another release, again due to off-field matters.
At the start of this season, there was a lot of hype in the media about the possibility of seeing Brown alongside Brady. Yet that didn’t happen. Bucs’ head coach Bruce Arians was against that idea because he believed that the wide receiver’s attitude could ruin the locker room chemistry, saying that Brown was a “diva” while playing in Pittsburgh. Back then, Arians was the offensive coordinator for the Steelers.
However, the recent problems Buccaneers had with their receivers changed everything. Mike Evans has nasty ankle problems and is constantly playing even though he is not 100% fit. Chris Godwin suffered a hamstring injury and only recently started training with full power, while Scotty Miller needs to take care of his groin injury.
All this opened the space for Brown, who, although didn’t play for too long, had individual trainings to keep in form. It is not expected from him to immediately take some huge workload, but in two-three weeks, we might see Arians using him as the first receiving option.
Tampa meets the Raiders in Las Vegas tomorrow, and after that, travels to New York to meet the Giants. The Saints are coming to town following these two events.
