Let Us Pray
September 7, 2019
by Steve Thomas
Dear God[1]:
I don’t ask much. I’m not wealthy and lord knows (meaning, you know) I have my share of issues, but all in all, things could be much worse, so I try not to complain. But please, please, please hear me on this: don’t let the Redskins sign Antonio Brown. I’ve read that he’s now a free agent and is looking for a new team. I’m begging you, God. Do what you need to do in order for this not to happen. I realize that if I’m going to pray to you, it should be for world peace, or to end hunger and suffering, or something like that, but look . . . okay fine, it’s selfish, but still. I’m asking. Just do this for me.
In your name I pray, your humble servant, Steve Thomas
In all seriousness, #AB84toDC is a terrible idea. Brown is most definitely one of the best receivers in the game. In fact, Level 100 drama aside, if I had to pick one as the top guy, it’s probably Brown. What he brings to the field is incredible. He’s very difficult to cover, as Josh Norman and Bashaud Breeland know all too well. Brown has played 9 seasons, 130 games (starting 103), and has 837 receptions in 1,275 targets for a 65.6% catch percentage, 11,207 yards, 13.4 yards per catch, and 74 touchdowns. He’s not injury prone. He’s a 7x Pro Bowler and has been selected as a First Team All-Pro four times and a second Team All-Pro one other time. He’s having a hall of fame-caliber career and, at 31 years old, probably has at least one or two years left before he starts to slow down.
Sounds great, right? In a vacuum, he could instantly become the #1 receiver on probably 20-25 teams, including the Redskins. Washington, in particular, has a mostly unproven receiver corps and could use an in-flux of playmaking ability.
So for those of you who are advocating for Brown to DC, I understand. I really do. He would be a big help on the field.
The problem is that this guy is a total and complete trainwreck, and there’s probably no team other than the Raiders less equipped to handle a trainwreck. The Redskins have been mostly non-stop drama for going on 25 years now, and the last thing they need is to voluntarily jump into the deep end head first, again. The front office and the coaching staff just isn’t good at this sort of thing, and drama kings like Brown are grade “A” distractions that affect the locker room and the players around him. If the Redskins are going to have any shot at being good this season, they need to be able to focus on football and grinding, not be asked every single moment of every day about Brown arriving at practice in a hot air balloon, freezing his feet, hating his helmet, calling the GM a racial slur, threatening to beat up his boss, or publicly bashing his team via publication of illegally-recorded phone calls on Instagram and elsewhere (which are all things he’s done in the last month or so). Not to mention, the core group of young leaders on this team, meaning Jon Allen and the rest of his Alabama contingent, don’t strike me as the types who want to deal with nonsense.
It’s just not a good fit here. If Brown is to get a new gig, which he probably will, it’s going to need to be a Super Bowl contending team with a strong front office, coaching staff, and player-captains who aren’t afraid of cutting off nonsense head on. Does that sound like the Redskins to you? Think the Patriots or Seattle, not Washington. I’m sure Jurrah is right now rubbing his wrinkled zombie hands together at the thought Brown of in a Cowpie uniform.
Brown essentially emasculated the Raiders GM and basically publicly challenged Jon Freaking Gruden to cut him for it – what do you think he’d do with a shot at Bruce Allen and Jon’s more passive, congenial brother Jay?
So, while I’d love to have a player who can do what Brown can do on the field, Washington just isn’t a good fit. In fact, I can’t think of a worse fit in the NFL. Let’s just roll with Paul Richardson, Terry McLaurin and company.
In your name we pray.
[1] By God, I mean my God. Feel free to insert your god of choice, or if you’re an atheist, pretend it’s some politically correct term. Leave me alone. I’m on a roll.