When I woke up on Friday, March 8, I experienced a greater emotional roller coaster than I ever had before. I first looked at my phone that morning and had received a text from a friend including a tweet from Ian Rapoport.
My team, the Buffalo Bills, had worked a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers to acquire Antonio Brown, one of the best receivers in the league. I was elated. That feeling of euphoria lasted for roughly one minute, though. A text that came almost immediately after the first included these tweets.
This comes after an Instagram post from the official NFL Instagram page captioned “The [Buffalo Bills] are closing in on a deal to acquire [Pittsburgh Steelers] WR Antonio Brown. (via [Ian Rapoport]).” Brown commented on this post with “Fake news 🚨.”
As more information came out, Bills GM Brandon Beane released a statement saying “We had positive discussions, but ultimately it didn’t make sense for either side.” Some unconfirmed reports claim that the Bills pulled out because it was obvious Brown didn’t want to play in Buffalo.
AB would’ve been the biggest name to come to Buffalo since LeSean McCoy in 2015. He arguably would’ve been the best talent the team has had since Andre Reed (1985-1999). Brown has been (and will continue to be) one of the top-two WRs in the league. In the moment, I was devastated to have lost a generational talent like Brown. But, the more I think about it, I’m actually glad the deal fell through.
Buffalo is a hard-nosed, blue-collar city. It’s located on the eastern edge of the rust
In addition, The Weather Channel determined Bills players endure the toughest weather during home games. Winds from Lake Erie fly parallel to the stadium’s open end, causing circling winds that change direction rapidly. Similarly, the average temperature from Week 13 onward is 26 °F (-3°C).
Buffalo’s sports teams hold a reputation of being tough and gritty, and the fans fall in love with players that fit that description. Ex-NHL enforcer Rob Ray is a great example. He played 14 of his 15 years in the league for the Buffalo Sabres, and he ranks sixth all-time in penalty minutes – most of which came from fighting. Fans loved his willingness, and often enthusiasm, to drop the gloves. This led to him being adopted by Buffalo, and he now does color commentary for the Sabres. Other Buffalo favorites include Kyle Williams, Fred Jackson, and Phil Hansen. They’re not
Antonio Brown doesn’t fit the profile of a Buffalonian. Throughout his tenure in Pittsburgh, he proved to be a locker room princess. After years of lackluster team performance, he called out long-time Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, tweeting out:
Per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Brown got into a spat with Roethlisberger (notice a pattern?), threw a ball at his feet, and stormed out of a Wednesday practice. This lead to him sitting out a 16-13 win over Cincinnati.
When Ed Bouchette reported Brown was limping during a training camp practice, Brown replied on Twitter.
Bouchette claims he was later confronted by Brown, who then called him a racist.
Former Pittsburgh OC Bruce Arians told Adam Schefter that Brown is a different player from the Central Michigan WR he drafted.
“There’s too much miscommunication, too much … diva,” he said. “He’s just gotta make better decisions … be on time, do some of those little things.”
Brown even threatened WR Jesse Washington after the ESPN writer wrote a piece called “Antonio Brown is an Instagram All-Pro. But is that the full picture?” The former Steeler took to social media again.
[ESPN Writer Jesse Washington] wait to I see you bro we gone see what your jaw like
Antonio Brown, via Twitter
If I were a HC, I wouldn’t want that kind of player on my team. Sean McDermott agrees. Since day one in Buffalo, he’s bred a tough, team-first culture; one that Antonio Brown would disrupt. His presence would interrupt the harmony that the Bills have as it stands.
There’s no doubt having him around would create a schism in the offense. He demands the ball, but both McDermott and OC Brian Daboll would be cautious to do so. He gets upset with them, and right there go some of the most important connections for an offense. In commanding the ball, Brown also puts himself above the other Bills receivers, angering them. In practice, he’ll be talking junk to the defensive backs, who’ll then stop practicing to get better. Instead, they’re practicing with a “me vs. Antonio” mindset instead of thinking of it as the match-up.
Perhaps, above this, is the negative impact having such a baneful player would have on QB Josh Allen.
Allen could succeed with Brown. He was a sustainable QB last year, and the best Bills receiver was… Robert Foster? Zay Jones? Pairing the two, and adding free agent acquisitions John Brown and Cole Beasley would put Allen on an entirely new plane.
But, think long term. Brown wants the ball every play. “Don’t say I’m your guy and then don’t throw me the ball the whole first quarter,” he said on HBO’s The Shop. He expressed that he wanted more looks from Roethlisberger, despite leading the league with 11.6 targets per game.
Allen and McDermott, both new to the big stage of NFL stardom, would, honestly, begrudgingly oblige to Brown’s demands. He’s 30 years old, a Pro Bowler in seven of his nine seasons, and earned a lot of the credit he gives himself.
But he doesn’t deserve it enough to ruin the development of Allen. Picture this: Brown makes it known, be it directly or otherwise, that he’s the focal point of the offense. This intimidates young Josh Allen, who begins to stop working through his progressions for an open receiver. Instead, he’s looking for Brown.
Allen loses the grooming young QBs require in order to read a field properly. As I said before, AB is 30, 31 in July. He only has a few years left in the NFL. He’ll play this year as a top two receiver. Next year he’s top seven. After that? It’s up in the air. Josh Allen will be at least 26 before this diva receiver decides to hang up the cleats, and he’ll miss vital years to improve his field vision and coverage reading ability.
Like I said earlier, Brown would blow every other Bills player in recent memory out of the water. He’d demand his teammates’ respect, and he’d get it. There’s no question about that. But, it would be resentfully. The other offensive skill positions would feel unneeded. They’d likely move on from Buffalo. The defensive players would practice with a chip on their shoulder. Rather than it being one of proving himself, though, it’d be one of proving AB wrong.
That type of toxicity isn’t beneficial for a young, up-and-coming team like Buffalo. Believe it or not, something big is brewing in Orchard Park. To add Antonio Brown would toss that all away for a few years of a declining Hall of Fame receiver.
Enjoy what I had to say? What do you think the Bills offered for AB? Is it good that they pulled out? Let me know, either on Twitter (@zekepersources) or Instagram (@zekepersources)