No, 12s. You do not want Antonio Brown on the Seahawks

In the latest stunning news in the whirlwind that is Antonio Brown, the Raiders have just cut him. No, the Seahawks do not need him. Trust me on this.

Antonio Brown has made more than a few headlines this offseason. The Oakland Raiders certainly did their part to add to the drama. They added to that today by releasing the four-time All-Pro. Despite his talent, there is no way on Earth the Seahawks need to go after this guy. And there are more reasons than his, let’s say, alleged attitude.

There’s no denying his talent. In case you don’t keep up with the AFC, I’ll give you a brief rundown. He made the Pro Bowl in seven of his nine seasons. Brown is working on a six-year streak of at least 100 catches, at least 1,200 yards, and at least 8 touchdowns. Over the last seven years, he’s averaged 107 receptions, 1,418 yards, and 10.3 scores. Yes, he can play.

What he apparently can’t do is keep his head on straight. The Steelers didn’t say “seeya” because he couldn’t play, after all. He was basically nothing but a problem child once the Raiders signed him. He showed up with bad feet, then cried over the league taking his helmet away. Brown’s ridiculous antics have been going on for over a month. Finally, even the Raiders gave up.

The Seahawks have been one of the most accommodating teams in the league. Surely you recall the frequent statements of Earl Thomas, Michael Bennett, and Richard Sherman. I like all three of those guys a lot, and the Seahawks did too. But it seems even Pete Carroll decided he’d had enough of the distraction. What Brown has been doing is even worse than what the former Seahawks said. There’s no way Seattle wants a walking distraction like Brown on the team.

Even aside from the apparent attitude, why would the Hawks want him? Yes, he’s still a great player, but he complied those gaudy stats by averaging 162 targets over the last seven years. The Seahawks had a total of 400 targets in 2018. Even assuming Brown would be the new number one receiver, he’d be lucky to get 100 targets. Russell Wilson has only given a player more than a hundred targets three times. Doug Baldwin was the target all three times with a high of 125 in 2016. You’ll remember the Hawks really struggled to run the ball that year.

With 120 targets and his 62 percent catch rate of the past two seasons, that would give Brown 75 catches. He’d likely miss 1,000 yards, although would still probably hit double digits in touchdowns. That wouldn’t be bad by any means. But Brown is a headache that earns about $15 million per year. He’s also 31 years old, and you know how leery the Seahawks are about players of a certain age. It would be a colossal mistake for the Hawks to sign Brown. Good luck to whoever signs him. But not too much luck.