The New England Patriots made a deal with all-pro wide receiver Antonio Brown over the weekend in a move that will send shockwaves across the NFL.
Well, you could say that business is booming for the New England Patriots. The team signed Antonio Brown and now have one of the fiercest wide receiver corps in the entire NFL.
Now I have to admit, I am very skeptical of this deal. Brown seems like he is a locker room cancer. He tore apart the Oakland Raiders organization in the blink of an eye.
The only thing that gives me hope is that apparently New England was always trying to acquire Brown. When he was on the Steelers the Patriots tried to acquire him, but Pittsburgh didn’t want to trade him to an immediate threat like the Patriots.
Hopefully, this will show Brown that he is wanted here in New England and there will be no problems. If anyone would cut Antonio Brown it is Bill Belichick.
There is no doubt that Brown is a talented pass catcher, but will he be able to adopt the “Patriot Way?” We will just have to wait and see. I don’t think Bill Belichick will be happy if he starts tweeting out videos or taking shots at management.
The Antonio Brown signing will have a major effect on the New England Patriots and these 5 players will feel that effect the most.
1. Tom Brady
No one is as happy about this move than Tom Brady. He now has one of the best receivers in the entire NFL to throw to. He hasn’t had this caliber of a pass catcher since Randy Moss was on the roster and we saw what Brady was able to do with him.
Brady might have the best season of his career in 2019. Expectations are sky-high now for himself as well as the team.
Now that Brady has Brown on the roster he just has so many guys to throw to. Julian Edelman, Brown, Josh Gordon, Demaryius Thomas is just the tip of the iceberg. You also have Phillip Dorsett and N’Keal Harry waiting their turn.
Brown might be the best receiver that Brady has ever played with. If not he is 2nd behind Randy Moss. Brown can make any catch look easy
Tom Brady has the biggest smile on his face knowing that he can throw the ball to Antonio Brown.
2. Julian Edelman
We all knew who the New England Patriots best receiver was prior to the season. Julian Edelman was gonna get plenty of targets. Now that Antonio Brown is on the team things will have changed.
More from New England Patriots
- Former Patriot Stevan Ridley Put Kevin Hart in a Wheelchair
- 3 Patriots Who Can Clinch a Roster Spot in Final Preseason Game
- Patriots Get Win Over Division Rivals Before Season Even Begins
- New Massachusetts Sportsbook Promos: $450 Bonus to Bet on Your Patriots at Caesars + DraftKings
- Ezekiel Elliott Reveals 3 Reasons Why He Signed With Patriots
Now I think this will have a positive effect on Edelman. This should open up some opportunities for Edelman and make his life a hell of a lot easier.
The only downside is that Edelman won’t likely have as many targets as he would have this season. Tom Brady will have to spread the ball around and get everyone involved. I don’t think we will see Edelman reach 100 receptions this season.
But Edelman will be able to get open easier. Opposing defenses won’t be able to double team Julian Edelman because if they do Brown will likely be wide open.
Julian Edelman is just another player that is happy to have Antonio Brown on the roster.
3. Phillip Dorsett
In Week 1 we saw Phillip Dorsett have one of the best games of his career. Dorsett made great plays and was one of the best receivers on the field. Dorsett had 4 catches for 95 yards and 2 touchdowns in Week 1.
Dorsett probably isn’t as ecstatic as everyone else that Brown is on the roster. If Brown wasn’t on the roster Dorsett would likely be a major part of the Patriots offense. Now at best he is the Patriots 4th best receiver.
The Patriots were even short-handed in Week 1. Demaryius Thomas didn’t play due to injury, and N’Keal Harry is on the Physically Unable to Perform list. Then Dorsett can only hope and pray that he is the Pats 5th receiver.
It would be pretty disappointing to see a receiver that had such an amazing start to his season get shut out from the field. Dorsett proved that he is capable of being a major part of the offense.
Hopefully, this isn’t the last we see of Dorsett this season.
4. N’Keal Harry
There was one rather noticeable absence on the field for the Patriots. Fans won’t be seeing N’Keal Harry anytime soon. Harry has an ankle injury and the earliest he can come back is Week 8.
Harry looked like he was going to be a major part of New England’s offense. The Patriots don’t usually draft wide receivers. Drafting them in the 1st round is unheard of.
Now that Brown is on the roster Harry is in a state of flux. I honestly don’t know if he will even see the field.
This could be a major problem for Harry. A rookie wideout needs to see the field and gain experience. How are the Patriots going to fit Harry in their plans now that Brown is on the roster?
FanSided 250
Fansided250 Logo
Where does your fandom rank?
See 2019 Rankings
Hopefully, we will get a chance to see Harry on the field and he is able to prove that he was worth the 1st round pick.
5. Josh Gordon
In Week 1 we were able to see that Josh Gordon is still quite the wide receiver. He had a great start to the season and looks like he could have a career year.
But we all know Gordon’s long battle with substance abuse and mental health problems. He finally seems to be in a good place.
Now I don’t know if adding Antonio Brown is such a great idea. Brown seems like he can cause problems in a locker room. He caused chaos and that’s not exactly what Gordon needs.
There are some positive things about the addition. I think Gordon will have an even better season now that Brown is on the roster. Gordon will be covered by a team’s 3rd or 4th best cornerback. He should be able to take advantage of those matchups.
So now fans are hoping that Antonio Brown will do more to help the team instead of hurting them.