Will Antonio Brown Play With Tom Brady in 2020?
According to reports, teams that pursued quarterback Tom Brady in free agency were reportedly "under the impression" that Brady wanted to reunite with free agent wide receiver Antonio Brown. It appears that Brady and Brown became close despite only playing together for one game last season before the New England Patriots released Brown.
With all the talk about Brady’s desire to have Brown join him, sportsbooks like BetOnline have posted betting odds on that happening:
Brown has had legal issues since his release by the Patriots back in September. You can read more about those here. However, it appears that despite just a brief amount of time together, the tumultuous Brown made quite a connection with the HoF-bound Brady. Brady even went as far as to invite Brown to live with him after the Patriots signed him, and he caught the attention of many earlier this month when he responded to a tweet in which Brown suggested he had been humbled:
Brown finished with four receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown in his one game with New England despite having limited practice time. However, as a bettor I would hammer the "No" and lay the juice in this prop. I just do not see any way that Brown joins the already bountiful Buccaneers receiving corps.
I understand that during his nine years with the Pittsburgh Steelers he was one of the NFL's top wideouts. Tampa Bay doesn't necessarily need Brown since they have a pair of Pro Bowl wide receivers in Mike Evans and the emerging Chris Godwin, as well as two athletic tight ends in O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate. I realize many fans and pundits love the thought of what adding Brown "on paper" could do to one of the NFL's most explosive offenses, but I just don't buy the hype, nor will I be tempted by the attractive plus-odds being offered by oddsmakers.
In addition, look no further than the opinion of Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians, who spent two seasons working with Brown as the offensive coordinator for the Steelers. In a podcast appearance with ESPN's Adam Schefter back in January of 2019, he called Brown a "diva." These remarks were made prior to the serious off-the-field antics we have seen from Brown recently.
Normally, I agree that “where there is smoke, there is fire." However, in this instance, there are just too many negative factors including the uncertainty of his playing status within the league office. Grab the free money and bank on the "No" in regards to this betting prop.
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