Rehabbing Antonio Brown will likely be Invoice Belichick’s greatest problem but

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots coach Invoice Belichick has taken notable probabilities on uber-talented, “troubled” star gamers previously, and Antonio Brown now shoots to the highest of the record.

Working again Corey Dillon in 2004. Randy Moss in 2007. Albert Haynesworth in 2011. Josh Gordon in 2018.

The Belichick-led Patriots have typically been a staff with which gamers seen as malcontents — or within the case of Gordon have battled bigger forces corresponding to substance abuse — can revive their careers and reputations.

Belichick has been in a position to take such dangers as a result of, in his 20th yr as head coach, a football-first, team-centric, disciplined tradition has been a basis to the franchise’s success. There has yearly been a powerful core of veteran leaders within the locker room, led by quarterback Tom Brady. And Belichick’s iron fist, with the authority to rent and hearth, normally performs a significant position in maintaining gamers in line.

2 Associated

In Brown, Belichick has taken on arguably his greatest problem.

Dillon and Moss had fallen out of favor with the Cincinnati Bengals and Oakland Raiders, respectively, earlier than they arrived in New England. They had been fierce opponents who had grown uninterested in shedding, they usually craved the possibility to win a Tremendous Bowl. Due to this, they each initially fell into line rapidly and later would discuss how they appreciated with the ability to mix into the staff, as a substitute of at all times being singled out because the star.

Dillon rewarded the Patriots with a franchise single-season document 1,635 speeding yards in 2004 en path to a Tremendous Bowl XXXIX championship.

Moss, after all, dazzled in his first season in New England, with 98 receptions for 1,493 yards and an NFL-record 23 landing catches. The Patriots went 16-Zero within the common season, earlier than shedding in Tremendous Bowl XLII.

Taking an opportunity on each Dillon and Moss paid off large time.

The identical could not be stated of Haynesworth, whose coronary heart by no means really gave the impression to be in it, and he was launched after six video games. He’s an instance of a Belichick gamble that did not repay.

Now, with Brown, it will likely be compelling to see the results of two highly effective forces colliding: The Patriots’ team-first, no-nonsense tradition vs. Brown’s actions that always come throughout as self-centered and entitled.

Antonio Brown and Tom Brady, as soon as rivals on two of one of the best AFC franchises, will likely be teammates beginning subsequent week. Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports activities

Taping a dialog with Belichick and posting it on social media, as Brown just lately did with Raiders coach Jon Gruden, possible would result in quick self-discipline that might be as extreme as Brown being launched. So, can Brown suppress his ego in these conditions?

The Patriots’ funding of a $9 million signing bonus as a part of Brown’s contract — which is important — reveals Belichick believes there is a good likelihood it could possibly work.

If it does, the probabilities for on-field fireworks are intriguing, just like what Moss introduced in 2007.

Moss (thrice) and Rob Gronkowski (5 occasions) are the one gamers to document double-digit landing receptions for the Patriots since 2001. Brown has recorded double-digit touchdowns in 4 of his previous 5 seasons, together with a league-leading 15 in 2018.

Brown is a downfield menace not like every other since Moss. Since 2011, Brown has totaled 204 receptions and 33 touchdowns on throws of a minimum of 15 yards downfield. Over that very same span, Brady has accomplished 44.5% of his passes thrown a minimum of 15 yards downfield.

One factor Belichick typically says is when a participant involves New England, he does so with a contemporary begin. It is a clean slate. In his Instagram put up through which he confirmed himself pictured with a Patriots jersey, Brown referred to the scenario this manner: #RewriteStory.

It was becoming as a result of maybe greater than every other staff within the NFL, the Patriots have helped gamers rewrite their profession tales in emphatic style.