The Antonio Brown news train just keeps rolling forward. The superstar didn’t take long to sign with his new team. He will now join the defending champions in their quest for an unbelievable seventh championship. This article will breakdown the move, and what it means going forward.

The Deal:
Antonio Brown, Wide Receiver: 1 year 15 million dollars

Reaction, Analysis, & Grade:
The Patriots have a knack for adding supreme talent to their roster. They also have taken in troubled wide receivers, and changed their perspective for the better. There have been several different projects so to speak in the past. Guys like Randy Moss, Josh Gordon, and now Antonio Brown. The Patriots have a certain way or standard they expect their players to represent their brand. More times than not, coach Bill Belichick is able to turn these players around and set them up for success. Brown will now join one of the most successful franchises especially in recent years in the NFL. He will also be catching passes from arguably the greatest quarterback of all time in Tom Brady. The question is will Brown be able to put his off the field issues behind him, and focus on his craft? Will the Patriots be able to get the larger than life figure to buy into their ways? The Patriots as I’ve mentioned have succeeded in doing this in the past, and I believe they are the best thing for Antonio Brown. Despite all of the off the field issues, Brown is a supreme wide receiver when focused on football. He is a tremendous route runner, has excellent hands, and has a tremendous first step. He can spread the defense with his speed, and plays with a high football IQ. Antonio can play on the outside, in the slot, and can even make plays out of the backfield. He gives the Patriots another dangerous threat for Tom Brady and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to work with. You cannot deny that Brown is a top tier level talent in the NFL, but has a checkered past which rubs some the wrong way. I believe this is a excellent deal for the Patriots, and they will reap the benefits right away. It is only a one year commitment, so if Brown gets out of line he can be cut or traded with no contract hold over. Essentially they are getting a premier talent for a renters fee. It remains to be seen if this could eventually turn into a long term relationship. For Brown, he needs to go out and do what he does best which is play wide receiver. He can prove his loyalty, and commitment to football by being a stand out on and off the field. If he puts up big numbers, and avoids off field drama I could see him landing a long term contract this offseason. He also goes from a rebuilding, dysfunctional franchise to a upper tier operation with little to no drama. The Patriots win big with this deal, and can move on if the arrangement doesn’t work out.

Grade: A+

Photo Credit: https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2019-09-07/antonio-brown-asks-raiders-for-his-release