The Buccaneers made the right decision with Antonio Brown.
The Buccaneers made several decisions during the past year that fans didn’t appreciate at the moment. Even the signing of Tom Brady caught a questionable amount of flak from a fanbase that had been hurt by a quarterback before.
While most people came around to Brady quickly, the signing of Antonio Brown during the regular season polarized people as much as Jameis Winston’s career.
On one hand, AB was the best wide receiver during the 2010s and was a massive gain for the Buccaneers as a depth piece. Brady pushed heavily to get Brown in Tampa with him, so it made sense that the Bucs’ main goal was to keep their new quarterback happy.
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On the other hand, Brown has a checkered past and has been a proven issue in various locker rooms. The Buccaneers were well on their way to building a solid base with their chemistry, and Brown was seen as a danger to the balance that was starting to form.
Fortunately for all involved, the Bucs made the right decision when they signed Brown. Gone are the days of acting out and causing issues. Brown has transformed during his time in Tampa, proving how well-constructed the franchise is.
Brady was a huge first step in getting Brown under control, but Brown has also made strides due to the rest of the franchise. The Buccaneers have leaders on both sides of the ball and one of the strongest coaching staffs in the NFL. Even a player like Antonio Brown acting out isn’t enough to topple the structure in Tampa with the current distribution of power.
The Buccaneers aren’t in any danger of getting burnt by the Brown signing now, and his career has changed for the better. Brown, who was once seen as a diva and impossible to work with, is now a team-first player in Tampa.
Brown still has extravagant celebrations for his touchdowns, but you don’t hear him complain when someone else makes the big play. Instead, Brown is usually the first player out to celebrate with his teammate.
The star receiver still has some distance to go before he can fully reform his image, but Brown has clearly turned over a new leaf in Tampa.
Given his production so far this season, the Buccaneers will need to keep Brown in pewter and red for one more season, but this may require him to prove how much of a team player he has become with a team-friendly contract.
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