DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Antonio Brown benched for discipline reasons; has asked for trade

Big news in AFC North; more drama with Steelers


https://triblive.com/sports/steelers/144...time-of-bengals

Report: Antonio Brown skipped walkthrough, left Heinz Field at halftime of Bengals game
TRIBUNE-REVIEW | Monday, Dec. 31, 2018, 5:42 p.m.
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Updated 4 hours ago

Antonio Brown skipped the team walkthrough Saturday and left the Pittsburgh Steelers’ game Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals at halftime when he learned he would not be playing, the NFL Network reported.

Brown did not practice the entire week leading up to the Steelers’ regular-season finale against the Bengals, a 16-13 victory in which the offense struggled to score points without their All-Pro wide receiver.

At first, Brown was given a “coach’s decision” designation for his not practicing Wednesday. But that was amended to “coach’s decision/knee” Thursday, and coach Mike Tomlin told reporters Friday that Brown having tests taken on his knee.

The NFL Network reported Brown and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had a “little bit of a disgreement” during the Wednesday walkthrough, which occurred before the first practice of the week.

That was the last time Brown was seen on the practice field.

Earlier in the season, Brown skipped a Monday team meeting and film study for “personal reasons” after television cameras caught him arguing with offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner. On the day Brown was absent, he responded to a critical tweet from a former team employee by writing, “Trade me let’s find out.”

Brown also was involved in a lawsuit stemming from accusations that he threw furniture from a Miami apartment complex, nearly striking a toddler with items that included two larges vases and an ottoman.

Brown led NFL receivers with 15 touchdown catches, and he caught 104 passes for 1,297 yards. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the sixth consecutive season and seventh time in his nine-year career.

Brown has three years left on the contract that he signed after the 2017 season. He is due a $2.5 million roster bonus in March, and he will count $22.165 million against the salary cap in 2019.

Before the Steelers signed Brown to that five-year deal in 2017 that included $68 million in new money, coach Mike Tomlin talked of the team having to deal with the wide receiver’s distractions, which at the time came on the heels of his Facebook Live feed from the locker room after a playoff win in Kansas City.

“I think that’s why oftentimes you see great players move around from team to team, and I definitely don’t want that to be his story,” Tomlin said at the time. “I am sure he doesn’t want that to be his story.”

Tomlin will face questions about Brown’s future Wednesday when he holds his annual season wrapup press conference.





https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20...its-time-to-go/


Ryan Clark has long known that the Antonio Brown the public sees is much different than the Antonio Brown his teammates see. After one of Brown’s outbursts, during the 2017 season, Clark unloaded on Brown. In the aftermath of Monday’s shocking tale of thrown footballs and missed practices and trumped-up injuries to cover it all up, Clark revisited his thoughts on Brown.

And Clark now believes it’s time for the Steelers to move on from Brown.

“When it comes to just being a good teammate, when it comes to just being supportive, understanding that you’re trying to achieve one goal, that doesn’t matter to him,” Clark said of Brown, in an appearance on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt. “What matters to him is 19 attempts, 14 catches, 185 yards, two touchdowns against the Saints. That’s what’s important to Antonio Brown.”

Clark thinks that, at this point, the only solution is to trade Brown to a new franchise.

“This is about the fabric of the team,” Clark said. “This is about the guy that goes Facebook Live as your coach is talking and leaks information out of the locker room that never should be there, this is about the guy that publicly talks about not getting the ball or issues with the offensive coordinator, knocks over garbage cans or knocks over Gatorade bottles and cans because he doesn’t get the rock. At some point, when you’re an organization that’s built on team, organization that’s built on integrity, you have to show the rest of the locker room that. Will he be good going forward? Probably so. But you have to take that stand.”

“You’re saying shop him?” Van Pelt asked.

“You have to,” Clark said. “It’s time to go.”

As mentioned on Monday, the cap charge for trading Brown would be crippling, in excess of $21 million. But there’s one caveat. The Steelers could trade him after June 1 and reduce the cap charge to $7.04 million, with $14.08 million hitting the cap in 2019.

Ideally, a new team would get Brown for the bulk of the offseason program. But getting him in June would give a new team a minicamp (at a minimum) and all of training camp.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/01/01/report-antonio-brown-has-asked-for-a-trade/


Report: Antonio Brown has asked for a trade
Posted by Darin Gantt on January 1, 2019, 1:24 PM EST

AP
They’re doing their best to deny it, but the situation between Antonio Brown and the Steelers has escalated quickly.

According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, the Steelers wide receiver has asked for a trade, because of lingering issues with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and coach Mike Tomlin.

The follows reports that Brown blew up at Roethlisberger last week, leading the team to cook up a fake injury report to explain his absence when he was actually benched.

Of course, there’s a big difference between asking for a trade and getting one, for several reasons.

For one, they’d take a $21 million dead money hit to deal him now, making it difficult from an economic and roster-construction standpoint.

But there’s also the reality that it’s January 1, and emotions are running high after a season that started poorly (the Le'Veon Bell drama which pitted teammates against him when he failed to show up) and never seemed to get better, ending with them missing the playoffs.

Salary cap issues aside, Brown remains one of the best players in the league, and even though JuJu Smith-Schuster is emerging, dealing such a high-quality player would make returning to the playoffs more difficult.

A-hole cost me my fantasy championship. Go get him, Dorsey.

Don't want him.

Because then we will have to hear about Antonio Brown, The Person.
Endlessly.

OUR DEFENSE COST ME MINE ...

18 points in q4 against the BUNGLES ... are u kidding me ...

If they allow 13 I WIN IT ... lost by 2 ... going from 13 to 14 cost me 4 points ...

I HATED OUR D FOR A DAY ... *LOL* ...

In reality, I don't see us getting him. Though I would love to have his talent, there's probably no room for his ego.

An aging malcontent. I’m sure the Steelers will have no problem unloading that contract and now publicly known attitude issues with teammates that speak against him.
I love the watching the Steelers wheels as they begin to fall off... as were on the upswing.
No Bell, no Brown, and fat Ben nearing his end....

Dorsey made a huge deal about the close knit locker room. This would be a surprising move.

On a somewhat related note, I believe Dorsey has a bit of a checkered past when it comes to contracts and the cap. Is there anyone in the organization that is responsible for being the "checks and balances" person in regards to this?

I have high hopes for Calloway..and there is no way I want anyone who could ruin his progress... Don't need AB getting in his head and giving him a bad attitude towards Baker and HC

Pig pen said today that brown isn’t returning calls or texts and Pittsburgh paper said that Brown didn’t attend team exit meeting.
Good times

Since Brown is Callaway's mentor, he probably already has space in his head. My issue with Brown is his me first not team first attitude. That's why I don't think Dorsey will go at him. But you never know.

Too old, too expensive and I seriously doubt if Pitt tries to unload him, it wouldn’t be to a division rival.

Shucks...Poor Steelers are unraveling...

That's true and a good point Cal.. Giving tips and pointers while breaking down film isn't the same influence that he would get from being in the same locker room.

The Steelers really can't move him this off-season. Such a move would have something like $20 million in dead cap space for them. No way they do, or even can do that.

There have been several instances over the years where I thought the steelers were imploding from within and they always seem to quickly regroup. This time, we have AB leaving, but JuJu's there to fill his shoes. Bell goes AWOL, but Connor steps up to the plate. Ben's on his last legs, with our luck Mason Rudolph picks up right where BR left off. Hell, I thought they were done when they hired Tomlin.

This is the result of stability and continuity throughout the FO and HC. The Steelers actually take the time, but more importantly have the time to develop players. Also, having a franchise QB all these years where the wins continue to come while players are being developed has been a huge plus as well.

Felt the same..they seem to know how to restructure without interruption...After hearing today's news about AB my first thought was..the fall of the Rooney empire...then instantly I knew ...nah..not yet...

I hope after this season for the Browns..that this will be happening in Cleveland in the near future...What you said is what I hope what will be the start for the Browns..

j/c

I feel like Juju has a lot to do with this .. jealousy is a big thing ,and AB is not used to playing 2nd fiddle in that city

There is no chance the Steelers are letting AB walk. Did you see how bad that offense was against the Bengals? JuJu is an excellent #2 but he is not AB.

AB has had a few incidents. He shows up late to appearances, hours late to scheduled events. Blows off media, blows of children hospitals, etc. not long ago there was an incident where he had 75K stolen out of his apartment that was in a gym bag, and he was throwing furniture out the window and it almost landed on a two year old. He is currently being sued for that.

He has a lot of mental issues IMO.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/25668...own-asked-trade


Mike Tomlin says Antonio Brown hasn't asked for trade
play
12:35 PM ET



Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin denied reports that Antonio Brown has requested to be traded and said the Steelers would handle the star receiver's absence from the team as an in-house matter.

Tomlin says he decided not to play Brown in Sunday's must-win season finale against the Bengals because the sides had a "lack of communication" in the days leading up to the game.
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Asked Wednesday if he thought Brown quit on the Steelers, Tomlin responded that "you can call it what you want to call it."

Tomlin, speaking at his end-of-season news conference, said Brown had soreness in his knee, ankle and feet last week. Brown was sent for an MRI on the knee Friday, but he did not show up for the examination and the team couldn't reach him after that.

Tomlin said he was an "active participant" in trying to get in contact with Brown, who also skipped Saturday's walkthrough.

Brown's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, contacted Tomlin on Sunday morning to inform the coach that his client could play against the Bengals. But Tomlin would not play Brown at that point.

Tomlin could not confirm reports that Brown left the stadium during the game and said the two have not communicated since Sunday.

Brown hasn't commented publicly on the situation, but he did tweet a seemingly inspirational message Wednesday.

I can't believe everybody on this board isn't consensous saying, "Welcome to the Cleveland Browns, Antonio Brown: Now let's go out and kick Big Ben and that nasty old steeler O'coord. right where it counts!

I'd trade Joe Haden for him "straight up!"

AB is one of the Top Eleven Players in the entire NFL at any position

He's a WR, and the Browns just got a "pretty good young quarterback", as I call him, ( an obvious understatement on my part),

The Browns haven't won a playoff game since Nineteen Ninety FOUR!
If you get a chance to get Antonio Brown! and maybe change things

JUMP ON IT!

Now go get this guy.

( In the words of the "American Pickers" character, "The time to buy something special is when you see it.")

Think about it, "If this really blew up in our face, would it be any worse, than, Justin Gilbert, Oneil Cousins, or any of the other things that didn't pan out,
The Browns survive today, in spite of those^ so ,

Go Get This Guy!

(Did Favre work out as a move for the Vikings? He did for one year at least!)

What is AB? 30? He's probably got 3-4 years left of elite play? maybe a bit less because he relies so heavily on his quickness.

I don't care if he's me first,
I don't care if he doesn't practice,
I just want him showing up, pissed off, waiting to wreak havoc all 16+ games for the Browns on game day,

and keep himself in shape,

I wouldn't need him to show up and practice, Do you think he forgot how to play football??? Heck no!

Go get him! (special rules for individuals? Ya Michael Irvin never won a Super Bowl, Neither did Dion Sanders??? Now give me a great big everlovin Break!)

Me first, not team first attitude?


It just hit me, I just realized, that's the problem so many have had with, Josh Gordon, Baker Mayfield, and Antonio Callaway,

And I'd say, as far as gamedays go, I don't think Antonio Brown has been known for any kind of incidences

(Yet the above 3, the members of Dagwtakers have been sure the situations would screw up the players, but the players have "surprised the experts" with their good play.)

And the only incidences Antoino Brown has is, He's not willing to put up with a bad gameplan that doesn't get him the rock!
And he's saying, Trade me and let's find out!

( there might not be room for his ego)
Make Room for his ego!!!

Don't pass on real players. Who said that, John Dorsey said that.

The cost would be horrific, both monetarily and in trade capital. Factor in that Brown will be 31 in July, and I don't see him as a fit for the Browns. (if the Steelers would even trade him inside the division, which I doubt)

Only Dorsey finds those "real players" without a huge investment for the most part. The only player he paid highly for was Landry. We needed a veteran presence in the WR group and he went out and got one with good hands and a chip on his shoulders.

Does being a "me first" guy drop him from the list of what Dorsey considers a "real player" to be? I certainly hope so.

We could use a big bodied, red zone and possession type WR added to the group but it's not something we need to overpay for in the form of a selfish, disruptive player.

If the Steelers traded him to us it would be because they thought the odds of him blowing us up were at least as good as the odds he would make us better.

I could see him hypothetically in a few places before Cleveland:

Jets
Colts
49ers
Raiders
Redskins
Cardinals

I want no part of AB. He is very good, but how much of that is Ben? The guy is a cancer and would truly be a problem. His problem in Pittsburgh is it is all about him. He is pissed that he doesn't get the ball on every throw. The Steelers just voted JuJu their MVP, funny hos after that happens Brown turns into a malcontent.

He would never be happy here with the way Baker distributes the ball around. If he ain't the center of attraction, he is a major whiner and hot head.

https://www.tmz.com/2019/01/02/antonio-brown-calls-ryan-clark-uncle-tom-pittsburgh-steelers/


Called Ryan Clark and Uncle Tom on insta. oh boy.

I want to know what trouble the team is going to get into for this? They listed AB as injured on the report with a knee, which he obviously was not.

Anyone know what kind of trouble this could bring for them?

...and Terelle Pryor laughed at it.

Slap on the wrist fine maybe. Fining a team and taking away draft picks are about the only two ways the league can fine the entire team.. and I doubt this rises to the level of taking away a draft pick.