Seahawks Should Steer Clear of WR Antonio Brown Once Again
Let's get one thing clear: From a pure talent standpoint, Antonio Brown is by far the most talented receiver still available in free agency. It's not even particularly close, in my opinion. He's one of the purest route runners in NFL history and proved he's still capable of being a highly productive wideout in his return with the Super Bowl champion Buccaneers last season.
It's understandable why the Seahawks - and quarterback Russell Wilson, in particular - would want to add him to a receiving corps that already boasts two stars in DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. On paper, adding Brown to the mix would make Seattle's passing attack virtually unstoppable.
Taking that into consideration, the Seahawks should still avoid Brown at all costs. While his time in Tampa didn't yield any further controversies (that we know of), the 32-year old has constantly found himself on the receiving end of many serious legal allegations over the past few seasons. Currently serving two years probation following a no contest plea to burglary and battery charges, Brown has also been named in two sexual assault cases amongst other incidents that include endangering a 22-month old child by throwing furniture out of his window—all of which have occurred in the last three years.
That's not to mention the issues that drove him out of his first NFL home in Pittsburgh, or led to his dismissal from the Raiders before appearing in a regular season game for them.
Time and time again, whether it be on the football field or off, Brown has proven to be an incredibly irresponsible and, frankly, toxic human being. That makes Wilson's continued desire to team up with him all the more confusing, though it shows how much NFL teams and players are willing to ignore these details for the sake of winning. This, of course, isn't breaking news.
Once again, Wilson is reportedly vying for Brown to join him in Seattle. While he did the same last offseason and during the 2020 regular season, the Seahawks failed to come away with the troubled receiver. Instead, Brown signed with Tampa Bay at the halfway point.
After the Seahawks' offense faltered in an early playoff loss to the Rams, due in part to the lack of a reliable tertiary receiving option behind Lockett and Metcalf, Brown went on to win a Super Bowl with Tom Brady and the Bucs as Wilson watched from a press box above. Already irked by the contrast of his own offensive line to that of Brady's, which seemed to have kicked his offseason frustrations into high gear, Wilson witnessed Brown play a key role in Tampa Bay's championship win, catching five passes for 22 yards and a touchdown.
That has likely contributed to the tension between Wilson and Seattle's front office over the past two months. But while the Seahawks have made a few moves to help bridge the gap between them and their disgruntled quarterback, this is one transaction they can't afford to make under any circumstance.
Cutting ties with offensive tackle Chad Wheeler following disgusting and horrifying details of his brutal attack on his girlfriend coming to light in January, the Seahawks cannot go anywhere near someone like Brown given his history with women. After condemning domestic violence in their subsequent statement upon Wheeler's release, linking up with Brown just months later would be an all-time hypocritical and tone deaf move by the organization.
Often times, NFL teams are rarely concerned with the optics, and the Seahawks are certainly no exception.
If they were to ink Brown to a deal this spring, they would all sing his praises as a "changed man" and so on and so forth. I'm all for giving people second chances, but Brown is on his seventh or eighth at this point. I'd say the fact that he's still in the league is "shocking," but again, the NFL doesn't care as long as you're talented.
The point of all this may be moot as Brown has made it clear his sights are set on a return to Tampa Bay. But if he's forced to head elsewhere this offseason, it shouldn't be in the Pacific Northwest no matter how much he or Wilson want it to happen.
