If it were up to Tom Brady, the Antonio Brown era in New England could have turned out differently.
It took just 11 days for owner Robert Kraft to make the executive decision to cut Brown’s time short with the Patriots. The Pats marked AB’s third team since the offseason and Kraft figured it was best for his franchise to avoid off-field distractions. But according to team insider Tom E. Curran, Brady disagreed with his owner’s decision to “jettison” Brown out of Foxborough.
Curran went into more detail about Tom’s stance on the situation.
The following is an excerpt from NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran:
He went all-in trying to make it work, got close to Brown and tried to understand and help him. He’s not happy Brown got flushed both because the football was going to be sublime and Brady thought Brown was reachable.
I was told the practice performance of Brady when Brown was on the field was almost perfect. There were more than a half-dozen plays Brown made that were breathtaking. He was beyond anything Brady ever worked with.
Brady was trying to help Brown stabilize. He disagrees with the business decision made by Robert Kraft to jettison Brown.
People complain Tom Brady doesn’t give much in the way of answers? He gave it all up Monday regarding Brown when he was on WEEI and said, “You want everyone to become the best they could they could possibly be. And you try to provide leadership and try to care for people. You try to provide whatever you think you can to help them reach their highest potential,” Brady continued. “Whatever situation it is, and I’ve had a lot of teammates over the years. So you invest not just your head but you heart, your soul. That’s what makes a great team, that’s what makes a great brotherhood.”
As for Belichick, Curran reported that the head coach wasn’t entirely on board with the decision either. Curran noted that Belichick did not reply with his usual “it was best for the football team” while addressing the decision:
The following is an excerpt from NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran:
After more conversations this week, I’ve come to understand that unanimous decision wasn’t easily reached. Belichick accepted the decision and understood it. But he was by no means leading the charge to move on — and if Kraft hadn’t insisted, Brown would probably still be here.
Which, one can logically conclude, is why Brown made sure to show appreciation for Belichick in social media posts after his release while sending drone strikes at Kraft on Sunday morning.
Why, when asked, “What was the last straw?” did Belichick not at least mumble something to Dana Jacobson about the decision being what was best for the football team? Because he isn’t sold that it was the best thing for the football team. And the real answer, “Robert is the boss and the heat got too hot…” would have been less prudent than an icy stare.
Brown lasted just one game with the Pats, hauling in four grabs on eight targets for 56 yards and a touchdown.
What could have been.
(H/T Tom E. Curran)
