Six months ago, Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians was asked about the possibility of bringing in the controversial Antonio Brown. His reply then was the same as it was a year ago: No way. He told Tiki Barber on CBS Sports Network鈥檚 鈥淭iki and Tierney鈥 that 鈥渋t鈥檚 not gonna happen. There鈥檚 no room and, probably, not enough money. But it鈥檚 not gonna happen; it鈥檚 not a fit here.鈥 His doubling down on his assessment that the wide receiver is 鈥渢oo much of a diva,鈥 for the most part framed during their time in Pittsburgh, presumably closed the door on a reunion. Never mind the lobbying of newly signed greatest-of-all-time Tom Brady.
Over the weekend, however, Arians ostensibly made a 180-degree turn. News coming out of the grapevine has Brown inking a one-year deal with the Buccaneers, underscoring yet again an age-old truth in sports: talent tops tumult. It鈥檚 especially true in the National Football League, whose annals are littered with examples of troubled players being given second chances because their on-field gains are seen to outweigh their off-field missteps. In his case, the hope is that the fourth time鈥檚 the charm. Heck, they鈥檙e seemingly so bullish on what he will bring to the table as to allow him to first serve a standing suspension for his violation of the league鈥檚 personal conduct policy.
Arians wasn鈥檛 wrong to hitherto resist the lure and allure of Brown鈥檚 admittedly singular skill set. After all, he wasn鈥檛 guilty of just jaywalking; he had been accused of sexual misconduct in 2017, and is fresh off pleading no contest to a felony burglary with battery case and two misdemeanor charges. Unfortunately, the Buccaneers felt a pressing need for his services in the face of injuries to Pro Bowlers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, as well as to sophomore sensation Scotty Miller. And, no doubt, they received enough guarantees from Brady on locker room control to believe they鈥檒l come out on the plus side when the battlesmoke clears.
Brady has a cause to be bullish on the prospects of Brown being a productive target; they did play beautiful music together in their lone game as Patriots last year. On the other hand, there鈥檚 a reason the Steelers couldn鈥檛 wait to get rid of him in March last year, the Raiders subsequently didn鈥檛 even want to touch him, and the Patriots were then forced to go one and done with him. Don鈥檛 tell that to self-proclaimed 鈥淭om Terrific,鈥 though; oozing with California Cool, the quarterback is already anticipating his post-suspension contributions beginning on Week Eight against the Saints.
Will Brown be a boon or a bane? The answer is anybody鈥檚 guess. What isn鈥檛: The Buccaneers are going all in. If it wasn鈥檛 evident when they strove to win the Brady sweepstakes in March, it is now. Their Win Now mode has them accepting an all-or-nothing proposition, initial impressions be damned, which is all well and good if their gamble winds up paying off in spades. If not, they鈥檒l be spending much of their longer-than-planned off-season justifying their desperation.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since 大象传媒 introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
