There was a method to Antonio Brown‘s social media madness over the last few days.As previously reported on
Jack Tatum Jersey , the letter from Raiders General Manager Mike Mayock informing Brown he’d been fined for missing practices was the impetus for the
wideout to seek his release from the team and he reportedly didn’t work alone
when it came time to force his way out of Oakland.Chris Mortensen of ESPN
reports that Brown sought advice from social media consultants about how to find
his way to free agency. That effort began with posting the letter from Mayock on
Instagram Wednesday, which touched off an argument that led to reports that the
Raiders planned to suspend Brown.Brown didn’t get suspended and apologized on
Friday, but was back on social media that night to post a video that featured a
taped conversation between him and Raiders head coach Jon Gruden. After the
Raiders fined him and moved to void guarantees in his contract on Saturday,
Brown went back on social media to ask for his release and it was granted a
short time later.Now Brown is a member of the Patriots and one imagines that he
won’t need a consultant to tell him that Bill Belichick would prefer he curtail
his social media habits while on the New England roster. It’s catching.
Obviously that’s the primary job of a receiving corps. For the Raiders receiving
corps, catching takes on a double meaning. There’s a new energy in the building
with Antonio Brown..." Raiders NewsAntonio Brown’s talent stands out in OTA’s,
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catching. Obviously that’s the primary job of a receiving corps. For the Raiders
receiving corps, catching takes on a double meaning. There’s a new energy in the
building with Antonio Brown leading the group. Catching that energy is key to
the success of the entire unit.Watching practice, Brown stands out. He carries
himself differently and plays at a speed you only see from a player with his
elite talent, playing at a level they can aspire to and setting an example for
his teammates to try to follow.“If you’re in that group, especially if you’re in
that wide receiver group, you’re going to have to jump in and follow his lead,”
said Raiders offensive coordinator, Greg Olson. “And again, he doesn’t ask them
to do anything that he doesn’t do. . . even though his experience in this league
has been so [extensive], he still practices at a very high level.”It’s a
completely rebuilt wide receiver room this year. Along with Brown, the team
added veterans Tyrell Williams, Ryan Grant, and JJ Nelson and drafted Hunter
Renfrow. Each of whom bring something different to the table to make for some
great competition. But more so, they’re trying to bring out the best in one
another.“We’re bringing the juice, challenging each other every day, competing
and just holding each other accountable,” said Brown. “Knowing what to
do
Marcus Allen Jersey , knowing how to do it, and bringing the meetings to the practice field, and being able to execute.”“I’ve been putting some good finishes
on tape. Challenging the group and I think it’s contagious for the young guys to
see the level of passion, the level of finishing in regard to how I bring it to
the field, and we gotta continue to inspire each other as a whole while we’re
out here.”It’s always been the way the enigmatic receiver’s outspoken
personality that has been so polarizing. His work on the field, whether it be in
meetings, practice, or the game has not come under question.He attacks every
drill full speed and with precision, routinely getting a step on his defender.
From there it is just the job of the quarterback to put the ball where it needs
to be.In team sessions at Tuesday’s OTA practice, it seemed more often that it
was either Mike Glennon or Nathan Peterman throwing him passes as opposed to
Derek Carr. Both backup QB’s had passes to Brown fall incomplete; one slightly
overthrown, the other slightly underthrown and knocked down by safety Dallin
Leavitt. It was Glennon who finally threw a ball right on target, and despite
some fine coverage fromGareon Conley on an out route to the right sideline,
Brown snagged the ball just past Conley’s outstretched arms and tapped his toes
on along the sideline. In this regard, the contagious energy and challenging
that is happening extends to the other side of the ball as well being that the
Raiders defensive backs have to face off against Brown every day.“Some
competitive guys. Some long corners. Love to compete,” Brown said of facing
Raiders Conley and Daryl Worley. “Between plays [we’re] talking about a play we
made or didn’t make and it’s a constant challenge with those guys and competing
and getting each other better.”Conley and Worley will obviously get the most
work against Brown, but the Raiders plan to move Brown around, including playing
him in the slot. That’s where the team’s new cornerback Lamarcus Joyner will be
making his presence felt. We’ve seen Joyner line up on Brown a few times
already, including last week when the Raiders tweeted out a video of Derek Carr
hitting Antonio Brown deep with Joyner just barely unable to get to it. The
veteran defensive back is no stranger to the competition and that match-up
should be a fun one when it happens.“It’s been awesome,” said Joyner of facing
Brown thus far. “You don’t get the opportunity too often to go against a
specimen like that. An elite player and to be able to match up with him in the
slot with this great division of slot players, that’s going to get me better and
it’s going to make him better as well.”It’s all about passion for Brown, which
is part of the reason he and Jon Gruden were drawn to each other. Every player
when asked about Gruden says they knew he was passionate, but that they were
surprised at how he never seems to run out of energy and by just how much he
loves football. You hear echoes of that in how they talk about Antonio Brown.
It’s early yet. Perhaps by minicamp in June or training camp in late July we
will really start to see the overall receiving unit show signs of rising to the
occasion so Brown doesn’t look quite as head and shoulders above the rest of the
group.Follow @LeviDamien
