Antonio Brown’s Release And It’s Impact

Antonio Brown has been released by the New England Patriots. What makes this case unique is the fact that Brown himself broke the news on his social media, with the hashtag #GoWinIt. But what does this mean for the Patriots and Bill Belichick?

But following the game, Sports Illustrated’s Robert Klemko put out a major article with several instances where Brown was a nuisance. One of those cases, however, was eye-popping. It was another allegation of sexual assault. What’s important is that the woman who was involved didn’t press charges. Yet, Brown attacked the woman via text with threats, saying that she was doing it for cash (she never filed anything, therefore no money was involved). He also sent pictures of her children, claiming that he would have people surveil her to prove how poor she was. Because the threats directly violated the conduct policy of the NFL, the Patriots decided to cut ties with the drama-riddled receiver. 

Next Man Up After Brown

Who will step up for Brown now? It’s safe to say a lot of people didn’t expect Brown to last in New England, so to say that this is happening now is no surprise. It’s also safe to assume that Belichick is a step ahead, considering he may have the greatest football mind ever. But who benefits with all this, and what are some expectations for each receiver with Brown now gone? 

Josh Gordon

Gordon is the easiest one to point out, among Patriots receivers. In week one without Brown, he had 3 catches on 4 targets for 73 yards and a touchdown. The offense was like a well-oiled machine, in Gordon did a lot with the football in his hands. In week two with Brown, Gordon garnered more targets with 5, but only caught 2 for 19 yards. The miscommunication between Brady and Brown threw the offense off, leading to misconnections with Gordon as well. Next week, against the Jets, Gordon could be looking for a big bounce-back game. As for the remainder of the season, with Gordon as the lone big, outside target, he could reach 1,000 receiving yards. That is if he can stay clean off the field. 

N’Keal Harry

This one may seem a bit strange, as Harry is currently on IR and unable to return until after week 8, but hear me out. Harry is a big-bodied, athletic, outside receiver, like Gordon. With Brown on the team, playing as a deep threat as well, Harry would have been buried deep, arguably behind even Phillip Dorsett. With Brown now off the team, Harry can feel safe to begin preparing for a decent workload across from Gordon. 

Phillip Dorsett

In week one without Brown, Dorsett exploded onto the scene. He benefited from an overall smoother offensive performance, plus a very poor defensive effort from Pittsburgh. He produced 4 catches on 4 targets, with 95 yards and 2 touchdowns. With Brown for week two, however, Dorsett was targeted 3 times, catching all 3, for just 39 yards. His targets were mainly check-downs or quick slants over the middle, leading to the drop in yardage. However, he can now return and even get a raise in opportunities as a depth receiver. He actually slots in as the third receiver, meaning he could get a significantly higher workload (worked in just 49% of snaps last week, 84% in week 1). As for the remainder of the season, it’s realistic to expect about 500-600 yards receiving at years end for Dorsett. 

In Conclusion

Brown blew his career a kiss goodbye, and there’s no one more deserving of this than him. This guy is an absolute clown who couldn’t keep his off-the-field issues at bay. In return, the Patriots lose the drama and get more production out of Josh Gordon. Gordon has been doing everything right thus far, which is the polar opposite of Brown. They get more out of Dorsett, who catches just about everything that’s thrown in his direction. Plus, the recent first-round draft pick, Harry. He finally has a lane to the starting offense, which he deserves for his level of talent. Good riddance “Mr.Big Chest,” hope you have a good career in the XFL. 

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All stats via football-reference