By Dylan Schreibman
After a video surfaced of Antonio Brown working out with Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Ravens wide receiver and cousin “Hollywood” Brown, rumors re-emerged of Brown’s return to the NFL.
When the topic emerged, Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta stated, “Those are in-house things. I don’t really feel the need to share that right now.” This is according to ESPN Ravens Reporter Jamison Hensley. DeCosta also stated that there are “probably 25 draftable wideouts in this draft.”
As previously stated on Sunday’s “In the Front Row Live Show,” I believe Antonio Brown’s return to the NFL would not be feasible at this moment. Also, I believe Brown would not be a great fit for the Ravens.
The former All-Pro wideout has severe allegations against him off the field for sexual assault. If convicted, Brown could face serious legal consequences and also should be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list. Also, Brown has thrown former teammates under the bus, recorded a phone call with the other party not knowing and has posted troubled videos. These recurrent behaviors make a hard investment for a NFL team.
Brown’s consistent behavior troubles began in Pittsburgh due to lack of targets. These issues would be maximized if playing with Baltimore. Back in 2013, Antonio Brown confronted former Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Todd Haley over a lack of targets. Most likely, his targets would decrease even more in Baltimore. Baltimore tight end Mark Andrews led the team with only 98 targets last season. Brown has had over 100 receptions in each season since 2013. This production would most likely not happen in Baltimore due to limited targets and cause unwanted tension within the team.
Next, the Ravens offense is a heavy run style centered around young quarterback Lamar Jackson. As a team, Baltimore rushed for a league leading 206 yards per game last season. Their record-breaking 3,296 yards was 991 more yards than any other team in the NFL in 2019. While Jackson is a great passer, this heavy based rushing attack limits targets to wide receivers more than the average franchise. Baltimore was dead last in passing attempts last season with 440. This made them only one of five franchises in the NFL to throw the ball less than 500 times in 2019.
Lastly, embracing culture was an important part of the Ravens mantra last season. You could see it through the press interviews and it led them to 14 regular season wins capturing an AFC North division championship. Antonio Brown has multiple behavioral issues with teammates which could jeopardize a Ravens culture built around their young phenom quarterback Lamar Jackson. For example, Brown has previously thrown Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger under the bus as well as recorded a phone call with Raiders coach Jon Gruden without Gruden’s knowledge.
Dylan Schreibman is a host of the “In the Front Row” Live Show every Sunday at 7:30 PM PT. Tune in for the latest content every week! You can follow him on Instagram @dylanschreibman or on Twitter @DMSchreibman5.
