The Patriots swung for the fences early in the 2019 season, and they came up with nothing but air.
New England signed Antonio Brown the day before its regular-season opener in an effort to bolster Tom Brady’s arsenal of weapons. The Patriots were thought of as worldbeaters as the time, but things soon quickly unraveled, both for Brown and the team. New England cut ties with AB less than two weeks later and went 4-5 over its final nine games, including a wild-card round loss to the Tennessee Titans.
With the 2019 campaign set to conclude in less than two weeks, ESPN compiled a list of the best, worst and most underrated moves from this past summer. The Patriots’ involvement in the AB saga earned them a spot in the “worst” category.
“The Patriots’ move to sign him hours after the Raiders cut him doesn’t look great either,” Dan Graziano wrote, “as they’re stuck with $10.5 million in dead money and likely will have to pay Brown his $9 million signing bonus if he wins his grievance against them. (But at least he played a game for them.)”
New England now will head into the 2020 offseason with a fairly desperate need for offensive help, which could be somewhat of a make-or-break in its effort to bring back Brady. As for Brown, an arrest soon could be coming and a return to the NFL is looking bleak at best.
