Antonio Brown Update

Fixit said:

That is most definitely not what blackballing is. They made the point that they can't place him on the exempt list while he's a free agent, and also that any teams considering signing him should be aware that the investigation is ongoing.

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Ice_Ice_Brady said:

Did you expect this letter to state they are blackballing him in those terms?

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203Pat said:

Absolutely asinine statement. He was the best/one of the best guards in the league his entire career. He was an All-Pro around the time of his hold out and was a Pro Bowler for a few years afterwards. Aside from John Hannah he is likely the best offensive lineman in team history.

Just a ridiculously stupid take.

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Ice_Ice_Brady said:

The Patriots championship drought aligned with Mankins career (2005-13), which makes his legacy one of the most polarizing on this forum. I personally felt like he was overpaid and not worth it, especially considering how many times in the postseason he got gashed (Jets, Ravens, Giants) and was completely overrun like a JAG. That is somewhat mitigated because he played through some gruesome injuries, including an ACL tear in 2011, but it also became a pattern to expect each year.

My opinion: Mankins shouldn't be judged negatively because he didn't win a Super Bowl alone, though criticism of how he actually played at times during those runs is worthy of legit criticism. And I think spending that much money on a guard is a bad economic investment considering they've often found good interior linemen in the middle rounds. Unless you're talking about a John Hannah type of player, I don't like the value there. I think it's a valid point that they let him go and didn't suffer that much at the position, even though he was still good for a year in Tampa Bay. Rare bad investment by Bill.

All that said, this approach of Super Bowl winner = good; no Super Bowls = bad is beyond ridiculous. There are a lot of factors and luck involved in winning a Super Bowl. And if anyone would take Deion Branch or Troy Brown (Super Bowl winners) over Randy Moss (Super Bowl loser) in their primes because they think that gives you a better chance to win, that is a really, really dumb conclusion. Tom Brady is a 14X pro bowl player...I don't really see what your point is about pro bowls being irrelevant; they do give an indication that a player is good. More good players give you a better chance to win the Super Bowl, generally speaking.

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Biffins said:

Because you can have an All-Pro talent for free? Remember we signed Moss to a 1 yr $3m deal when no other team would touch him.

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PATSYLICIOUS said:

I saw the Delonte west videos for the first time, i get the sad feeling ab might end up like that. Really hope someone is able to get him help, i dont know the extent to which his family/friends have tried to help or if he just doesn’t accept it but he has to get behavioral treatment.

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Patjew said:

God that was tough to watch. Poor guy. If I prayed I’d be praying for Delonte.

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Ice_Ice_Brady said:

I'm not going to defend AB's behavior, but I feel like the NFL is really sticking it to him in a bad way and are likely blackballing him, which is terrible. The league should encourage a team to sign him in some capacity, or they should be going over a rehabilitation plan with him, which would include what it takes for a reinstatement. Because he is not on a team this becomes a lot more complicated, and that's why this blackballing is a really shtty thing to do to a guy with obvious mental health issues, and I think they are doing it as retribution for stealing from the Raiders.

He clearly needs some direction about how to be reinstated instead of being ghosted like this. His life has spiraled out of control; he has hit rock bottom and is a threat to himself and others. Many people from his past have said he was a good/decent guy for years and then just snapped. I don't see how the league can pretend to care about mental health (or this potentially caused by a brain injury) and just leave this guy to rot.

With Josh Gordon, they instructed him to attend counseling, AA, etc. to get conditionally reinstated. They have billions if not trillions of dollars and former players are complaining about how they're discarded. AB should be with some team that is forcing him to go mandatory counseling; he really is out of control and his life is an embarrassing mes. This is just a bad situation for everyone.

For the record, I believe in personal responsibility, but I also believe in common sense in this case.

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rochrist said:

How do you know that some of that hasn't gone on? My suspicion is that AB burns bridges as fast as the league builds them.

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Patjew said:

God that was tough to watch. Poor guy. If I prayed I’d be praying for Delonte.

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203Pat said:

Bipolar disorder is one of the most frustrating things to witness. One day someone can feel like they can take on the world and they start making impulsive and sometimes irrational decisions. They stop sleeping because their brain is going a mile a minute and feel a natural high. Without even knowing it that same person slips into a depressive state where they can’t face the outside world, sleep all day and stop eating. It’s a vicious cycle I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy and it’s heartbreaking to watch.

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PATSYLICIOUS said:

I saw the Delonte west videos for the first time, i get the sad feeling ab might end up like that. Really hope someone is able to get him help, i dont know the extent to which his family/friends have tried to help or if he just doesn’t accept it but he has to get behavioral treatment immediately, before it's too late.

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fnordcircle said:

I wouldn't trade places with Antonio Brown and he's a ****ing super bowl champion WR who is still probably a top 10 WR.

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Kdo5 said:

If AB was not cut, he'd have put up career numbers, helped us win a Super Bowl and not descended into this state. He was already crazy but he would have been reigned in just long enough. But nope. Choir boys only says Krusty Bob.

Dynasty destroying move.

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supafly said:

He was a rookie during the year they went (2010), but they lost to Rodgers and the Packers. Either way, I get what you’re saying. I kind of feel bad for the guy, as big of an idiot as he is. It doesn’t look like he’ll be designing any buildings or saving any lives when his football career is finished.

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