The New England Patriots certainly didn’t need to sign Antonio Brown, but they went ahead and did it anyway.
Of course, his tenure in Foxboro thus far has been surrounded by controversy, as rape allegations from a former trainer have emerged since he signed with New England. But the possibility remains that Brown will play Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.
As for football, Brown joins a pretty loaded wide receiver corps that features Julian Edelman and Josh Gordon, among plenty of others, so all signs point to big offensive showings on a weekly basis.
During his weekly interview on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show,” Edelman was asked how Bill Belichick is keeping the Patriots focused on football despite the baggage that Brown has brought to the team.
“Coach is going to do what is best for the team, what he feels is best for the team,”Edelman said. “Adding Antonio, he feels that’s best for our team. Quite frankly, he’s a a really good football player. He works his tail off. He practiced this week. I think with a player like him, a player of his caliber, he’s going to raise the bar and raise the intensity of practice because he’s so good for other guys to see. He’s a really good football player and I look forward to playing with him.”
There certainly is no disputing Brown’s talent, but the distractions proved to be too much for the Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers. Whether or not that changes for good in New England remains to be seen, but so far, he’s not off to a good start.
