Talent tops tumult
Six months ago, Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians was asked about the possibility of bringing in the controversial Antonio Brown. His reply then was the same as it was a year ago: No way. He told Tiki Barber on CBS Sports Network’s “Tiki and Tierney” that “it’s not gonna happen. There’s no room and, probably, not enough money. But it’s not gonna happen; it’s not a fit here.” His doubling down on his assessment that the wide receiver is “too much of a diva,” for the most part framed during their time in Pittsburgh, presumably closed the door on a reunion. Never mind the lobbying of newly signed greatest-of-all-time Tom Brady.
Over the weekend, however, Arians ostensibly made a 180-degree turn. News coming out of the grapevine has Brown inking a one-year deal with the Buccaneers, underscoring yet again an age-old truth in sports: talent tops tumult. It’s especially true in the National Football League, whose annals are littered with examples of troubled players being given second chances because their on-field gains are seen to outweigh their off-field missteps. In his case, the hope is that the fourth time’s the charm. Heck, they’re seemingly so bullish on what he will bring to the table as to allow him to first serve a standing suspension for his violation of the league’s personal conduct policy.
Arians wasn’t wrong to hitherto resist the lure and allure of Brown’s admittedly singular skill set. After all, he wasn’t guilty of just jaywalking; he had been accused of sexual misconduct in 2017, and is fresh off pleading no contest to a felony burglary with battery case and two misdemeanor charges. Unfortunately, the Buccaneers felt a pressing need for his services in the face of injuries to Pro Bowlers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, as well as to sophomore sensation Scotty Miller. And, no doubt, they received enough guarantees from Brady on locker room control to believe they’ll come out on the plus side when the battle-smoke clears.
Brady has a cause to be bullish on the prospects of Brown being a productive target; they did play beautiful music together in their lone game as Patriots last year. On the other hand, there’s a reason the Steelers couldn’t wait to get rid of him in March last year, the Raiders subsequently didn’t even want to touch him, and the Patriots were then forced to go one and done with him. Don’t tell that to self-proclaimed “Tom Terrific,” though; oozing with California Cool, the quarterback is already anticipating his post-suspension contributions beginning on Week Eight against the Saints.
Will Brown be a boon or a bane? The answer is anybody’s guess. What isn’t: The Buccaneers are going all in. If it wasn’t evident when they strove to win the Brady sweepstakes in March, it is now. Their Win Now mode has them accepting an all-or-nothing proposition, initial impressions be damned, which is all well and good if their gamble winds up paying off in spades. If not, they’ll be spending much of their longer-than-planned off-season justifying their desperation.