Odds Favor Patriots Signing Antonio Brown; Redskins Listed at 3-1, Cowboys at 6-1
- Antonio Brown has been released by the Oakland Raiders and is now a free agent
- Pats have roughly $11 million in cap space for the 2019 season
- See the odds of who he’ll play his first game of 2019 for
Now that the Antonio Brown experience is officially over in Oakland – that escalated quickly – it’s time to focus on other NFL teams that may be willing to take a gamble on signing the troubled wide receiver.
After a rocky relationship with the Oakland organization that resulted in a $53K fine, Brown finally took to Instagram on Saturday asking for his release from the team. The Raiders granted him that wish, making the seven-time Pro Bowler a free agent.
Should the Patriots sign Antonio Brown? pic.twitter.com/8Wj2pRUwiM
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) September 7, 2019
Shortly following the announcement, sportsbooks were quick to release opening odds on which team will sign Brown to a contract, with the New England Patriots listed as the +200 favorites.
Odds What Team Antonio Brown Plays His 1st Game of 2019 With
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| New England Patriots | +200 |
| Washington Redskins | +300 |
| Dallas Cowboys | +600 |
| Buffalo Bills | +700 |
| Houston Texans | +1000 |
| Denver Broncos | +1000 |
| Arizona Cardinals | +1000 |
| San Francisco 49ers | +1000 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | +1000 |
Odds taken on September 7
Brown had a tremendous 2018 campaign, posting 1,297 yards with a league-leading 15 TD receptions. He has led the league in receiving yards on two separate occasions.
In 2014, Brown collected 1,698 yards with 13 touchdowns. That same year, he averaged 106.1 yards per game, which was third only behind Odell Beckham and Julio Jones. In 2017, Brown once again led all receivers in yards with 1,533 — nearly 100 more than Jones who was second on the list.
After demanding a trade from the Steelers, Brown was dealt to the Raiders where things seemed to look positive early on.
The Antonio Brown Raiders Era: March 10, 2019 – September 7, 2019 pic.twitter.com/FgxHdPXzm2
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) September 7, 2019
Patriots Frontrunners To Sign Brown
It’s not a shock that the Patriots are favored as a potential landing spot for Brown. Bill Belichick has a history of taking in disgruntled players and turning them into Super Bowl champions.
The Pats took that gamble with receivers Randy Moss and most recently with Josh Gordon.
A potential move to bring in Brown would strengthen New England’s wide receiver corps, already featuring Gordon, Julian Edelman and Demaryius Thomas.
The Patriots could make a deal work from a financial standpoint with roughly $11 million in cap space, according to Spotrac.com.
Will there be any other teams on the board willing to take a risk on signing Brown and dealing with potential locker-room distractions?
Antonio Brown hasn't been the same since: pic.twitter.com/orB8b1O0We
— Yahoo Sports NFL (@YahooSportsNFL) September 7, 2019
Brown Would Boost Weak Receiving Corps in Washington
The Washington Redskins are listed at number two on sportsbooks’ odds of teams that could sign Brown to a new deal. Without question the Redskins could use help at wide receiver, as the team enters the 2019 regular season with Paul Richardson and Trey Quinn as their primary targets.
The Redskins don’t have much cap space flexibility for the 2019 season, with around $4 million to spend, which likely won’t be enough to bring in Brown on a new deal.
Antonio Brown walking into the Patriots locker room tomorrow morningpic.twitter.com/vzwBF556AW
— Dale & Keefe (@DaleKeefeWEEI) September 7, 2019
Don’t Count on the Cowboys Signing AB
Even though the Cowboys come in third on the list of potential landing spots for Brown at +600, it’s unlikely he will sign with ‘America’s Team.’
Aside from inking Terrell Owens to a three-year deal back in 2006, the Cowboys have historically stayed away from players that could potentially disrupt the locker-room — something Brown has done with the Steelers and most recently with the Raiders.
Other Teams in Play?
Not coming in on the odds board are the Seattle Seahawks, who are in dire need of help at wide receiver after losing Doug Baldwin to retirement and David Moore, who’s on injured reserve.
The Best Bet
The serious contenders, however, will be the Patriots. Look for Belichick and the Pats to take a run at the four-time First-Team All-Pro.
Angelo Montilla is a writer, visual design instructor and graphic designer based on the East Coast. As a journalism graduate, his experience in the media industry spans more than 15 years and includes work with Nation Network, SportsBreak, Featurd, Hockey Writers and the Windsor Star.
