Tag: Antonio Brown

Oh HELL YES: Oakland Raiders Selected as This Year’s Hard Knocks Team

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HELL EFFING YES!

On Wednesday, it was announced that the Oakland Raiders would be the team featured on this year’s version of HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” which is set to air, per usual, during training camp in August. Merry freakin’ Christmas, NFL fans.

No matter which NFL team you root for, there is truly no better choice than this year’s version of the Black & Silver to serve as the show’s main attraction in 2019. I would literally kill to be a fly on the wall at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum this year. Just being able to take a peek behind the curtain of what will likely be an absolute circus act all year long will truly be a treat for even the most casual NFL fan.

My goodness. This is going to be fun.

For starters, there’s Jon Gruden, the cartoon character of a head coach who could honestly provide enough entertainment just by himself to fill a whole entire season of television. This dude has always been a ham for the camera, and while he may come out and act like he’s annoyed by the entire process, you know that deep inside he will eat this stuff up. There will be no shortage of ridiculous quips, over-the-top outbursts, and just pure, fun, unadulterated Jon Gruden-ness.

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After what was one of the ugliest superstar-team breakups in recent memory, new Raider and All-World wide receiver Antonio Brown will also be on center stage. Though I’ve soured quite a bit on the man personally after the way he’s acted over the past year or so, you know he’s not going to shy away from the camera either. In fact, he could become even more unlikable by the show’s end depending on the level of D-baggery he displays. Regardless, those type of polarizing figures do great for the ratings, so you can be sure that HBO will be all about A.B. this summer.

Speaking of unlikable players, linebacker Vontaze Burfict – quite possibly the cheapest, dirtiest player in NFL history – is also on the squad this season. There may be no greater villain than this guy in a lot of NFL circles, and some are surprised he hasn’t been kicked out of the league entirely by this point. OH, and the guy who was on the receiving end of one of Burfict’s most egregious helmet-to-helmet hits ever was none other than the aforementioned Antonio Tavaris Brown. So I’m sure they will greet each other quite warmly at camp this summer. (*He said with heavy sarcasm.*) You can’t make this stuff up.

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AND how can we forget about Richie Icognito??!! Speaking of guys who are lucky to even still be allowed on the field, there may be no more volatile athlete in the world right now than the ticking time bomb that is Icognito. When he’s on his game, he is indeed one of the league’s best O-lineman, but when he snaps, HO-LEE HELL. (Seriously, just Google the man’s troubled history.) I’m not trying to make light of the personal angst the man has suffered due to what should be considered serious mental-health illness, and apparently he’s made great strides recently, which is awesome. But the potential for an absolute explosion with him – especially in this type of environment – is always very real, and Oakland better have eyes on this dude all the time. Maybe he’ll be on his best behavior in front of the cameras. We’ll see.

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There’s also the whole Derek Carr saga. Once looking like he was tracking toward becoming one of the game’s elite QBs, Carr has had an up-and-down past few seasons, and the Raiders even toyed with the idea of bringing in a new guy to lead the way in 2019. They ultimately decided to roll with Carr once again, but how Carr responds to the rumors – which were in NO way quieted by Gruden, who has actually been one of Carr’s biggest critics – will be interesting to see. Also, after last year’s damning report about his “fractured relationship” with teammates and his “on-field crying,” he won’t be able to hide with camera crews in his face every day for weeks on end. (Is it bad that I’m expecting [and maybe, sorta, kinda hoping for] a big meltdown by Episode 3? Anyone else?)

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There’s also fantasy implications for those who want to see how rookie running back Josh Jacobs looks. He is expected to be the team’s bell cow this year after being selected in the first round of the draft in April. Other talented guys like Tyrell Williams and a strong rookie class should also help to make Oakland a much more enjoyable team to watch going forward, too.

And above all, it’ll be interesting to see how what was once one of the NFL’s most revered franchises tries to make its way back toward relevance after serving as one of the league’s biggest laughing stocks for well over a decade now.

And that’s just the beginning…

We still have about a month and a half before we get to view what should be an absolutely incredible television masterpiece, but at least we all have something to look forward to while waiting for the real, meaningful action to begin. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, HBO and whoever had the authority to make this decision for the NFL.

Buckle up, guys. This is going to be quite the ride.

The Patriots Reportedly Tried to Trade for Antonio Brown (Update: Maybe Not)

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(UPDATE: The Internet can be a funny place. While I did say “reportedly” from the get-go when first posting this story, it seems as though – as of 1:40 p.m. on Monday afternoon – nobody can say for sure whether or not the Pats actually made this offer. I was using a third-party tweet which was reporting a quote from one of the NFL’s leading experts, Ian Rapoport, after he supposedly broke the news on NFL Network this morning. Apparently, though, he may have been misquoted. However, there are many sites which are still reporting this story as fact, so who knows? IF this is true, below are my two cents on the matter as well as what it could potentially mean for the Pats going forward):

I think we all owe Jon Gruden an apology.

After a nine-year absence from the NFL sidelines, he was hired last January to become the new head coach (and de facto G.M.) of the Oakland Raiders. At first, many people (myself included) scoffed at the idea. Even though he had a pretty successful 10-year run as a head coach in the late 90s/early 2000s – which included a Super Bowl victory with Tampa Bay in 2003 – most were skeptical that the 55-year-old cartoon character of an individual could be successful in today’s NFL.

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He was then eviscerated by the media for trading away one of the game’s best defenders in Khalil Mack just two months later (even though he got a pretty solid return). He also “reached” on an offensive tackle with his first draft pick in May, and things weren’t looking all that great for Gruden heading into last season…and honestly, they didn’t get much better.

BUT, even in the midst of suffering through what was a pretty miserable season in 2018, Gruden was able to trade away a young but maddeningly inconsistent wide receiver named Amari Cooper to Dallas for a first-round pick. Again, even though he received yet another first-round pick – giving Oakland THREE of them in 2019 – people still blamed him for not using Cooper correctly and giving away one of the game’s premiere young talents.

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While things certainly got better for him in Dallas, Cooper was an absolute roller-coaster ride out in Oakland.

Now, he has Antonio Brown, the game’s best receiver over the past half-decade. OH, and he only had to trade away a third- and fifth-round pick for him. So basically, Gruden traded away Amari Cooper, Khalil Mack, a third, and a fifth for the following:

  • Antonio Brown
  • Three first-round picks (2018 [1], 2019 [2])
  • A sixth-round pick in 2019
  • A third-round pick in 2020

That is absolutely ABSURD. There’s also rumors the team is gearing up to sign Le’Veon Bell as well. Things could start to turn around for the Raiders pretty quickly.

On the flip side, the Steelers are being ripped apart for getting so little in return for a guy who has been on a truly historic run over the past six years (six-straight seasons of at least 100 catches, 1,200 yards, and nine touchdowns). To be fair, A.B. pretty much had all the leverage in deciding where he would go by making a new contract mandatory from whichever team he went to. The Bills, the team he was reportedly traded to on Friday morning but then wasn’t just two hours later, weren’t willing to do that; the Raiders, though, saw no issue with it. Therefore, the Steelers had to take the best offer available.

However, today we were told that there was allegedly at least one team out there who was willing to offer even more:

IF this is actually true, then this says two things to me:

  1. The Patriots have been so good that other teams are now willing to hurt themselves and TAKE LESS just so the Pats can’t get better. (Truly unbelievable stuff.)
  2. The Pats really are still trying to bring in a top-flight receiver, and maybe (juuuust maybe) they are getting ready to spend some capital to bring in some more talent to play with Brady – as I predicted they might do in my piece about the 2019 free-agent wide-receiver class this past Friday.

All we do know is that the offseason is starting off with a bang so far, and the Pats could be a lot more involved than most people think. Also, the Steelers are SHOOK and were just pantsed by two different star players this year.

Get your popcorn ready, folks. These could be a fun next couple of months.

Ending the Antonio Brown Patriots Trade Rumors Before They Even Begin

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Antonio Brown will not be playing for the Patriots next season. Period.

I’m here to let all of you know this now so that you’re not sitting there all offseason like a desperate high-school kid who heard about his longtime crush “having issues” with the douchey jock nobody likes, leading to delusions of grandeur and heartbreaking false hope.

Again: Antonio Brown is not going to be traded to the Patriots this offseason. Start to let that sink in now so you don’t get caught up in all the “Antonio Brown to the Patriots rumors” that the media will surely try and shove down our throats in the coming months.

Look, there’s no doubt that the Pittsburgh Steelers do not have the happiest of locker rooms right now. It all started with the Le’Veon Bell contract drama, and it’s all but certain that he’ll be playing elsewhere next season. Various sources have also claimed there’s some long-time beef and ill-feelings between Ben Roethlisberger and head coach Mike Tomlin, not to mention smaller rifts amongst other players and personnel.

And now, Antonio Brown is at it again. He was benched on Sunday due to skipping practices and allegedly getting in a public argument with Roethlisberger at practice last week. (So, no, his absence against the Benglas wasn’t due to a supposed leg injury).

Then, on Tuesday, Jason La Canfora of NFL.com reported that the 30-year-old receiver wanted out of the Steel City:

Many, including La Canfora himself, believe it’s all a bunch of hot air and that it’s very unlikely the Steelers give into his demands. But, hey, when there’s smoke there’s fire, and this certainly isn’t the first time Brown – or any Steelers player, for that matter – has expressed extreme frustration with the team or its still-somehow-employed head coach.

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Seriously, this guy is not a good coach.

But, even if the team does end up trading the receiver, it absolutely will not be to the Pats. I’ll tell you why.

First and foremost, Brown has an astronomical $22.2 million cap hit (!!!) for next season. Seriously, that number is BONKERS, and there is ZERO chance the Pats would be willing to pay anywhere near that much for pretty much anyone ever, let alone a 30-plus-year-old wide out. (He also then has two more years of $18-million-plus cap hits before hitting free agency as a 34-year-old in 2022.)

(UPDATE: Due to various – and often confusing – NFL/roster rules, acquiring Brown might not require his new team to pay the full $22.2 mill, but his contract is still probably too expensive for the Patriots’ liking.)

Secondly, we still don’t yet know exactly which direction Belichick & Co. want to take the roster this offseason. After offloading Brandin Cooks last year and letting guys like Danny Amendola and Dion Lewis walk, it would be surprising to see the team once again try and load up by going after older, expensive, big-name targets to pair with Brady – even though he desperately needs them. As I said they needed to do last week, the team may start looking more toward the future sooner rather than later, and acquiring Brown would seem to counteract that effort. Plus, I’d much rather see them use the money to lock down a guy like Trey Flowers, who is a free agent this offseason, for the long term.

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Flowers is the future of the team’s D…if, of course, the team is actually willing to pay him.

Also, what happens if Brown comes here and Brady retires within the next 1-2 years? You think this guy would be content playing with anything less than a H.O.F.-level quarterback? No freakin’ way, man. No wayyyyy.

Finally, above all, I’m pretty sure the Steelers’ brass would rather hang themselves from the top of Heinz Field with a Terrible Towel before ever trading one of the game’s very best players to one of their biggest all-time rivals.  Unless the Pats were willing to give the Steelers their next half-decade’s worth of first-rounders and more, the Rooneys aren’t shipping him up here. Again: no freakin’ wayyyyy.

So, yes, while seeing A.B. in a Pats uniform would be a dream come true, I’ve already resigned myself to the fact that it’s just never going to happen – and you should, too. Sorry to break it to ya, Pats Nation.

The 300s Bloggers’ Is Nathan Peterman Elite? Fantasy Football Round Up – Week 6

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Welcome back. Let’s first address today’s dedication.

I liked Nathan Peterman coming out of school. Prototypically sized, decent-armed QB from a blue collar school like Pitt. Thought he could be a good spot starter in the NFL, maybe even mold himself into a late blooming starting QB. So far I have been drastically wrong. Not in my evaluation of his talents, no. Take a look at the TD he threw Sunday. Absolute seed. No, the problem with Peterman is he cannot get out of his own way to save his life. If he just “regular sucked”, for lack of better terminology, I think analysts and fans alike would say he has potential. Instead, he throws a stupefying number of pick 6’s. It’s almost a constant at this point. He could go 10-21/200/1 and people would say, “you know what, kid might have something.” But noooope, not Nate, he prefers the 10/21/200/2/4 pick 6’s. Like what the fuck man. JUST STOP IT.

Any way here’s the round up.


Big Z

A play in three acts.

Me with 106 points Sunday at 4.

Me with 111 points and a 17 point lead after Sunday night.

Me after the two-minute warning of the Monday night game when Aaron Rodgers and my undefeated opponent pulled ahead of me for the win.

No bad beats or bad plays this week that will have the league office questioning my competence to run a fantasy football franchise. Just a tough loss to a great team. We’re on to Week 7.

Papa Giorgi

3-0 for the first time since week 1! I’ve never felt more alive. Yeah, my real life QB Josh Allen is dead and the never ending Nathan Peterman experiment rolls on, but at least i’m on my way to making some money. Aaron Rodgers played like an angel last night and I was able to steal the W thanks to a last minute game winning kick by Mason Crosby.

Joey B

Everyone from LA to Boston said Matt Breida wasn’t going to play, so I, much like Mattes and the rest of the “Why The Fuck Did I Pick Jordan Howard” Club, tried to get cute. I took a flier on Alfred Morris for the week. Welp, Breida and some absolute NO NAME played and Morris did not get A. Single. Carry. I got beat. 3-3. I’m not having fun anymore.

Red

So after ripping on Eli Manning all week long for never really being an elite quarterback outside of two hot streaks in years that shant be named, I went against all of my better judgement and started him in fantasy anyways. I was in a bind as my QB was on a bye so it was either Eli, Bortles or Danold. Welp, Eli promptly shit the bed, didn’t throw a touchdown and finished with 11 points. And I STILL WON, mainly because the other guy started the other bum on the waiver wire in Bortles.

Mattes

So, I started Amari Cooper again… I’m now 1-5. I also invested a lot in guys like Jordan Howard, Carlos Hyde, and Keelan Cole. It’s just not working out this year, but at least I traded Antonio Brown for an extra second-round pick next year. This year’s squad is absolute hot garbage, though.

Fortunately, I’m 4-2 in my other league after my opponent started TWO guys who were announced as inactives just before game time. That’s why you always gotta pay attention right up to kickoff, folks. I’ll take the gift, though, and I got both Ingram and Thomas coming back from a bye this week. (Also, how about Sony Michel??!! Kid’s a beasttttt.)

 

Patriots Dismantle the Steelers On The Way to Their 9th Super Bowl Appearance

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The Patriots are going to their 9th Super Bowl. The most in NFL history. Bill Belichick is going to his 7th Super Bowl as a head coach. The most in NFL history. And Tom Brady is going to his 7th Super Bowl as player. The most in NFL history.

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The Patriots played their best game of the year in all 3 phases of the game and Pittsburgh just had no answer. Tom Brady went 32 for 42 for 384 yards and 3 TD’s in the 36-17 dismantling of Pittsburgh. A handful of those incompletions were drops or intentional throwaways too. And Brady now has 22 TD’s and 0 INTs in his last 7 games against Mike Tomlin and the Steelers.

Sure, LeVeon Bell getting hurt did not help the Steelers (who appeared very LaDanian Tomlinson-esque on the sidelines), but the Pats shut down Deangelo Williams (34 yards and a TD), who in the past has roasted New England. But they also held All-Pro receiver Antonio Brown in check to just 7 catches for 77 yards. Kudos to Malcolm Butler and also to Mark Zuckerberg for setting up shop in Brown’s head with the whole Facebook Live debacle.

Patriots corner Eric Rowe does scare the shit out of me though. The stats say he had a pick and no huge plays given up, but in reality he was getting burned all night and if it wasn’t for 2 or 3 drops by Pittsburgh receivers this could have been a much tighter game. So he should be a blast to watch against the No. 1 offense in the NFL during the Super Bowl.

The Pats running game wasn’t great, save for that pile-carrying run Blount had down to the 1. But it didn’t need to be as Chris Hogan and Julian Edelman lit up the Steelers questionable secondary all night. The two combined for 17 catches, 298 yards and 3 TD’s. Hogan in fact broke the Patriots record for receiving yards in a playoff game with his 9 for 180, which is all you need to know about last night’s game. The Steelers either didn’t respect him or just forgot to cover him because he found holes all night long for big plays and 2 TD’s. He should have had another huge play too, but Brady underthrew him on a deep crossing route.

Tom Brady was brilliant once again. Completing passes to 9 different receivers. I’m sure the entire week of talk radio and ESPN saying how poorly Brady played against the Texans the previous week and how vulnerable they looked was a good boost of extra motivation.

The Patriots have now won 17 of 20 home playoff games with Belichick and Brady. That is bananas.

And, my goodness this ESPN the Magazine cover. Just look at it. You’ve done a lot of terrible, unforgivable things ESPN, but goddamnit will I be purchasing this beauty.

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We’re on to the Super Bowl.

The NFL Promoting #CleatsForACause is the Height of Hypocrisy

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Yesterday the NFL went out of its way to promote the fact that it was allowing and encouraging all of its players to wear custom cleats, which is the absolute height of hypocrisy for a league that has spent YEARS fining players tens of thousands of dollars for doing just that.

How does the NFL figure to sidestep the ridiculousness that are these fines? Make it about charity of course. Use it as a way to raise awareness for the various charities that NFL players work with. Which is of course a great cause, that I totally support, but once again the NFL could do so much more.

You really want to make an impact on these charities rather than just grab some good PR? Take all that money you’ve stuffed into your coffers over the years fining guys like Odell Beckham for wearing fire custom cleats. All the money collected for guys wearing different color socks. What about the money that Dangelo Williams was getting fined for having pink in his hair to raise awareness for breast cancer?

The NFL always has been and always will be a PR machine, nothing more, nothing less. Stay woke my friends.

Now without further ado, the best of the best from #CleatsForACause

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