We’ve talked a lot about Russell Wilson’s apparent interest in playing with Antonio Brown this season. The workout video this week felt like Wilson was making a point. He wants that story in the media and he wants Brown on the Seahawks — months after calling for the team to land some superstars.
I’ve often highlighted the caveat that Brown is likely to face a lengthy suspension. Thus, any move to sign him seemed like a ways off.
However, Mike Florio raised an interesting point in the video above.
Brown was cut by the Patriots after week two when allegations of sexual and personal misconduct were levied against him and then he allegedly sent intimidating text messages sent to one of his accusers. He was never placed on the commissioners exempt list but that was inevitable the minute anyone signed him. Thus, nobody did.
We know teams were interested. Heck, the Seahawks were linked to him on multiple occasions during the 2019 season. Yet teams knew it would be a waste of time. The minute he penned a contract, he was going on the exempt list due to the allegations. He wasn’t officially suspended but he was essentially frozen out of the NFL.
So while we assume Brown will likely receive a significant suspension were he to sign with a team now, Florio notes it could be argued he’s already served a 14 game ban. If the league wished to suspend him for 16 games — a full season — it’s possible that he might actually only miss two games in 2020. It would certainly be difficult for the league to argue he hadn’t already been prevented from signing for a team and playing in 14 games last season while the allegations remained unaddressed.
That’s something to consider as talk of Brown signing with a team ramps up. If he’s going to miss between 0-2 games in 2020, his signing is a lot more likely than if he was going to miss half the season or more. Presumably when there’s clarity on how much time, if any, he will miss in 2020 — that’s the moment he will sign somewhere.
It’s also worth noting that Wilson isn’t the only quarterback willing to petition for his team signing Brown. Deshaun Watson wants him in Houston and Lamar Jackson has also worked out with him. Tom Brady seems determined to work with him again. Mike Garafolo reported this week that many quarterbacks are ‘enamoured’ with the idea of playing with him. Garofolo also suggested Brown’s preferred destination is Seattle.
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I’m trying to remember if Kareem Hunt got “credit” for missing the last few games after being cut by KC in 2018. He got an 8 game suspension after signing with the Browns the next year. Anyone recall?
Not quite apples to apples but the closest I can think of.
Or maybe the new CBA changes some things. I didn’t listen to the whole Florio video. Maybe he addresses that.
Iirc, he did not.
Did a quick google search on the commissioner’s authority on personal conduct matters in the new CBA and came up with a Florio artlcle.
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/02/21/report-commissioner-would-retain-final-say-over-personal-conduct-policy-appeals-under-new-cba/
It would appear there is some room for a “lesser sentence” than what players got under the last CBA.
I agree that Brown and his attorney could validly argue that he essentially served his 14 game suspension already due to teams not signing him.
However, if the NFL wanted they could make as valid of an argument that teams not wanting to deal with his poor behavior and anti-team attitude was as much of a contributing factor to teams not signing him as the fear of a potential lengthy suspension by the league. The judge who rules in Brown’s favor has to be convinced that Brown’s bizarre behavior and burning of bridges with his last 3 teams was not a major factor in teams deciding not to sign him.
It’ll be interesting to see if he gets signed by any team. I’m still on the fence about him. He’s still a great talent but is seemingly such a bad teammate/person that it’ll feel kind of dirty cheering him on if he’s on the Seahawks.
The NFL could try and argue that but they’d get absolutely nowhere. Several teams could easily vouch that they would’ve signed Brown had they known he would’ve been available. Including, presumably, the Patriots (who have plenty of cause to exact some revenge over the NFL). And it’s almost certain that the league communicated to teams that if they signed Brown, he wouldn’t be available. One email would be enough to dismiss that argument.
Good point. If the NFL did send an email or any written communication about the expected suspension if any team signed him then you’re right, they don’t have a case. I hadn’t considered that the NFL might have/would have provided written warning about the consequence of signing Brown.
Here’s an example:
‘Roger — if we sign Antonio Brown are you likely to let him play?’
‘Roger — I couldn’t possibly say’
Even something as vague as that could be evidence that the league was placing doubt within the mind of a team.
If the NFL said that to me after this much time has passed I’d go ballistic. The NFL should have a real good idea of what they want to do by now.
AB would be wise to play for the best QB he can get.
Rob, thanks for continuing to post well written articles. I check your blog every day to see what you’ve posted, and it always brightens my day to find something new here.
Thanks for reading
Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) Tweeted:
1/2 Browns’ TE David Njoku and his agent Drew Rosenhaus asked today for the team to trade him. The Browns told Njoku they would like to keep him, but Rosenhaus told them he’s intent on a trade. They want a trade before training camp.
https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1279118675111337984?s=20
Washington Silverbacks
That’s my call for the new Redskins name.
It’s an absolute travesty that no major American franchise has a gorilla for a mascot. Gorillas are the ultimate BAMF animal.
Idk hippos are pretty badass.
Going from Redskins to Silverbacks could be considered a lateral move by some in a predominately Black league. I know I’ve heard that word used in a very harmful way before.
Hippos?
Gorillas are pretty docile. Hippos kill 2000 people a year.
Or the hyenas. I like that one the best! Talk about a BAMF!
I’ll just be happy if they change it. A lot of people have been asking for it for a long time!
For crying out loud.
A gorilla’s racist now is it?
I mean you see it in the European soccer leagues hooting and hollering and carryin on at black folks, imagine it in the US.
If it’s about optics (and it is) this would never fly in the US, Rob.
Pittsburg State Gorillas seem to get on just fine, with an awesome logo https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a5/Pittsburg_State_Gorilla_logo.svg/1200px-Pittsburg_State_Gorilla_logo.svg.png
Prior to Atlanta United’s entrance in MLS, the minor league soccer team there was the Silverbacks.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_Silverbacks_FC
Team was named in honor of a gorilla in the Atlanta Zoo.
The venue they played in is still called Silverbacks Park
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_Silverbacks_Park
Sadly, yes. I could see this being offensive for some people.
Then we’re not doing things right.
Agreed Rob.
Imagining the way opposing fans could heckle them I think makes it clear why this probably shouldn’t be on the table.
You’re right that a Great Ape would make a great mascot. I’m thinking of some dope alternate kits w that color scheme.
The Washington franchise was initially knows as the Washington Braves. That’s my call.
Any name they pick will sound strange. I wonder if they go something DC ish or something different like when they went from the Bullets to the Wizards.
The Washington Gridlock
Get a little political
How about just getting rid of the team altogether? It’s a dumpster fire of a franchise led by total filth for human beings.
😂😂🤣🤣😂😂
Name em like an English soccer team, FC Washington Cranberries
I’ll hazard to guess they would stay away from any primate name or image.
Why?
Nothing tells me more that will live in ridiculous times that a gorilla is now seen by some as problematic and a potential symbol of racism.
Let’s just end Earth now if we’re going to do this.
Ridiculous is the people that used gorilla, ape and monkey as insults. Man I have kids that get called these names at school. Yes, here in America. Yes I have neighbors that use these works to describe people that have dark skin like me. It sucks but it’s real here Rob.
Yes they are ridiculous.
But there’s already a team called the gorillas. And nobody has ever reported any issues.
Here was me thinking it’d be cool to name a team after a bad ass animal and everyone here wants to talk about how racist it is.
I’m out. I’ve had enough.
Agree 1000%. What a ridiculous time we live in.
If we are going to go down this road, all names need to end. Why are major cities across the US fully supporting painting their streets with ‘Black Lives Matter’ yet not allowing other ethnic groups to do the same? It’s all a crock of ****. Meanwhile in Seattle it’s just fine to go out nightly and interrupt freeway traffic now and defunding the police is the shout out while everyone calls the police when anything happens during this take overs.
https://twitter.com/ComicaI/status/1278781899201294342
I can’t think of a more powerful, intimidating beast to represent a team.
Plus imagine the merchandise with a BAMF gorilla on the front.
Imagine the opposing fans. You see it in England already
No you don’t. Come on. I’ve been to well over a couple of thousand games. I’ve never seen anyone do anything like that at any of the games I’ve attended as a broadcaster or fan.
I think it’s a sad state of affairs that people now feel uncomfortable talking about a gorilla without having to try and find some ‘racism’ or ‘racist concern’. People need to get a grip.
Caulk it up to not understanding the situation in the US, not living there. It would be like calling a premier league team the ‘gypsy’s’. That won’t happen. People in the US would say why not/not understand.
That’s not the same thing in the slightest. Come on.
A gorilla is an actual animal. Gypsy is a slur used to describe a group of people.
Redskin is a lot closer to calling a team Gypsy, than silverbacks is.
I think they should go with Redtails to honor Tuskegee airmen, and color scheme could stay the same.
Would love it to be Seattle’s new NHL franchise name. Seattle Silverbacks sounds good
That does sound cool.
A gorilla’s head logo would also look awesome on a NHL jersey: https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1N525zLuSBuNkHFqDq6xfhVXa2/Tri-Mishki-WCS149-14×14-5cm-the-fierce-gorilla-head-car-sticker-funny-colorful-auto-automobile-decals.jpg
Washington Hamburglers
If I’m not mistaken, they had a linebacker in the 70’s named Chris Hanburger.
Yes they did. Good player too.
The Washington crackers …a little bit for tat
💀🤣
🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
Bravo, that is high quality humor.
You know it is serious when….. people are bettin on the Washington Football teams future name.
Here are the betting odds for the next team name
(courtesy of SportsBetting.ag / CNN article)
Presidents +300
Generals +400
Lincolns +400
Americans +500
Kings +500
Memorials +500
Capitols +600
Veterans +600
Jeffersons +700
Roosevelts +700
Monuments +800
Arlingtons +1000
They should exand it out, to include DC names.. such as DC Diablos
Those are all terrible
Washington PC’S
Washington MLK’s
Washington Autonomous Zone’s
Washington Red Necks
Washington Swamp
Washington Pandemics
Washington Filibusters
Washington Rona’s
Washington Wuhans
Washington War Mongers
How about Washington For Sale To The Highest Bidders?
Or Washington Grease My Palms?
Washington Free Lifetime Health Cares?
Washington Karen’s?
Washington Foreskins?
The logo for the Foreskins is pretty brilliant to be fair: https://twitter.com/CockyBelichick/status/1279075813535744000
🤣🤣
Omg..I don’t what’s wrong with my sense of humor but, I can’t stop laughing at the Washington Foreskins. I’m laughing and typing.
Embrace it… it’s hilarious.
It would just cause more controversy.
A recent NYT poll showed that 1/2 of gentiles are offended by the Foreskin logo…while the other half feel it honors their heritage.
Washington Redtails. Look up the Redtails. It’s pretty dope.
This I can get behind in a big way.
You could do a lot of cool things w/ the logo too. Like a P-51 Mustang.
For sure. And for a twist, keep the feather part of the original logo for an alternate, since redtail hawks are native to the area.
They could use the P-47 Thunderbolt Iconography. P-47 were warriors, heavily armered and armored and could take a beating and still give out punishment. That would be (as Rob would say) BAMF.
I had associated that with them with the 47 more the 51, even though it was made popular in the movie of the same name.
“When the pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group painted the tails of their P-47s red, the nickname “Red Tails” was coined. The red markings that distinguished the Tuskegee Airmen included red bands on the noses of P-51s as well as a red rudder; the P-51B and D Mustangs flew with similar color schemes, with red propeller spinners, yellow wing bands and all-red tail surfaces.”
Many colors are the same as the current ones fopr the team.
Read the story behind the name and I like it. Would be a classy tribute.
Washington DC Beasts would be a good name.
The BAMFS
My favourite is Washington Redcoats.
The Redcoats was a widely used nickname at the time for the bad guys in the Revolutionary War. That one is unlikely…
Yeah, but then it’s Patriots vs Redcoats. Wonder what side Rob would take?
The side that properly pronounced ‘aluminium’.
LMFAO
Washington Fireworks
SAY BROWN IS 5/7 MILLION, AND GORDON IS VET MIN, THIS WOULD BE EASILY DOABLE AND JUST A RICHES OF OPTIONS FOR WILSON.
WR:
BROWN
DK
LOCKETT
GORDON
DORSETT
TE:
OLSEN
DISSLY
TWO ROOKIES
PRACTICE SQUAD:
URSUA
SWAIN
CUT:
MOORE
LUKE
HOLLISTER
A couple of points…
— I don’t see any reason why Antonio Brown would cost $5-7m unless he is fully cleared to play and a bidding war breaks out. At the moment, I would imagine he would cost a lot less than that and need to go through a prove-it year.
— Hollister isn’t going to be cut. They placed a second round tender on him for a reason. It’s a bit optimistic for Stephen Sullivan to project he will make the cut and Hollister won’t. Sullivan is much more likely to land on the PS.
Also Parkinson may start the season on the PUP due to his broken foot.
I of course would keep Hollister as 3rd TE over Sullivan but above I stated Brown at 5-7 million and if so cuts would need to be made. If Brown comes in a vet min or a couple million than yes of course Hollister over either TE rookie. But I “think” Brown will get more money than many believe. 5 Million is a bargain for a top 3 WR in the game, even with his many issues. Either way I hope we go for it!
I never thought I would live to see the day….
Washington Redskins coach Ron Rivera says he has been working with owner Dan Snyder on a new team nickname in recent weeks.
“If we get it done in time for the season, it would be awesome,” Rivera told The Washington Post on Saturday.
Washington Blamers
They can fire Ron Rivera and hire Jim Mora immediately.
Whenever they lose a game, Mora can blame it on the kicker, just as all Democrats blame Republicans for everything and all Republicans blame Democrats everything.
Ultimate BAMF name…
The Washington Jorge Masvidals